Sport
8 June, 2024
Panthers pipped at the post, while Pinkies prevail
It was an exciting end to what had been a scrappy match that could have gone either way...
For the vast majority of the time in their game against the Coonabarabran Unicorns played at McGrane Oval last Saturday, the Ahrens Gilgandra Panthers’ first grade side were in front or level on the scoreboard, but it all amounted to nought in the end when the visitors rattled home to claim the competition points.
The opening minutes of the game saw the Panthers repeatedly called upon to defend their line grimly, which they did desperately as the Unicorns enjoyed great field position but could not get over the line. In fact, it was Gilgandra that started the scoreboard action when their front rower, Isaac Frost, was able to ground the ball after it had been grubbered in goal in the 14th minute. With Ty Sutherland’s faultless goal-kicking display on the day beginning with a simple conversion, it was a 6-nil lead to the Panthers.
Again, the Panthers were called on to defend their line from the close-range attacks being mounted by the visitors, and eventually, the Coonabarabran centre, Dylan Tighe, was able to dive over from dummy half to tie it up six all.
With neither side opting for any sort of expansive play, most of the attack was centred up the middle corridor in what was a bit of a slogfest. With 28 minutes elapsed, Gilgandra’s centre, Michael Louie, was able to get across the line wide out after a short stepping run through the Unicorns defence, and with the conversion potted, the Panthers were up 12-6, which was the lead that they took to the sheds at halftime after once again having to expend considerable energy in defending their line in the closing stages of the first half.
The six-point lead soon became just two when, in the fourth minute after the resumption of play, the Unicorn’s lock, Nick Willoughby, scooped up a dropped ball and set sail on an 80-metre run where he was able to outpace the Gilgandra cover defence to score. Things became a little heated in the 16th minute when Ty Sutherland, the Panther’s five-eighth, was hit late after putting in a kick. Following some degree of combat between a number of players, two Unicorns and one Panther were dispatched to the dressing rooms for ten minutes to contemplate the error of their ways.
In that 10-minute period, Gilgandra’s halfback, Wade Peachey, was able to get back-to-back tries, on both occasions using his height to reach out to ground the ball over the line after attacking from close range and the Panthers looked as if they had established a match-winning lead of 24-10.
That win looked almost inevitable with 10 minutes to go in the match, but the Unicorns were not going to die wondering. A converted try to their halfback, Brad Fuller, gave them belief, and with the momentum swinging to the visitors, it was game on.
With six minutes remaining, a try to the Unicorn’s front rower, Steve Watton, saw the scoreboard reading 24-20, and it became desperation time for both sides. Indeed, it was a grandstand finish, with the result well and truly in the balance until Coona’s centre, Jarvis Watton, put a chip and chase over the Gilgandra defenders just short of the halfway line. The ball was subsequently kicked again before sitting up perfectly for Dyllon Tighe to latch onto it and plant it under the sticks to lock it up at 24-all.
Much to the dismay of the Panthers and their supporters, Fuller made no mistake with the conversion and with mere seconds remaining, it was to be the Unicorns who trooped from the field as 26-24 winners!
It was an exciting end to what had been a scrappy match that could have gone either way.
Earlier in the day, Gilgandra’s Pink Panthers recorded a big 58-nil win over the Unicorns in the Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Tag fixture.
