Sport
5 September, 2024
Reggies Win!
Gilgandra Panthers are the Reserve Grade 2024 Christie and Hood Castlereagh League champions with an 18-14 win over Baradine.
Panthers break half-time deadlock with two tries to win the Castlereagh League Reserve Grade premiership
An early rise was no deterrent for the Gilgandra Panthers Reggies side as they lifted the Christie and Hood Reserve Grade trophy at Cobar on Saturday, August 31, following a great battle against a brave Baradine Magpies team. Gilgandra won an entertaining decider 18-14 at Tom Knight Oval.
The Panthers would have gone into the match as slight favourites, having won their major semi-final two weeks before, but the Magpies would have been equally as confident with their form throughout the finals series.
Gilgandra got off to a perfect start when the ball was spread wide in the opening minutes to Curtis Carr who finished off a backline raid to touch down out wide. The conversion attempt swung wide and the Panthers led 4-0 after only two minutes of play.
Baradine finally woke from their early start and midway through the first half, big forward, John Millgate crashed over next to the posts to give Liam Fernando an easy conversion and go to a 6-4 lead with 15 minutes remaining in the opening half.
The Panthers were giving away too many penalties in the opening stanza, allowing the Maggies to make easy metres and with eight minutes left on the clock Mark Martin scored out wide to increase that lead to 10-4.
The Panthers regrouped and with only one minute left on the clock they forced a line dropout and from the ensuing play the ball was sent to George Alchin who outpaced the Baradine defence to score in the eastern corner. Alex Sutherland converted from the sideline and both sides went to the sheds for the half-time break with the scores locked up at 10-10.
The Panthers and the Magpies came out for the second half with their coach’s instructions ringing in their ears. Neither side was prepared to give up the battle without a fight and it took until midway through the second stanza for the Panthers to break the deadlock when Alex Sutherland used his big frame to muscle his way over out wide. The conversion was waved away and the Panthers led 14-10 with fifteen minutes left on the clock.
The Maggies weren’t going to lie down, however, and they threw everything at the Panthers until Baradine fumbled the ball close to their own line as the clock ticked down. Once again, the ball was quickly spread to George Alchin who sprinted away to score out wide. Sutherland’s conversion attempt was flagged away but the Panther fans knew that they had the title sewn up at 18-10 with four minutes left on the clock.
Baradine failed to concede and just as the hooter was sounding, Fernando scored wide out to make the final score 18-14 as time was called.
The game was played in typical grand final style with both teams turning on an entertaining game played in the right spirit for the many fans who made the early morning trek to Tom Knight Oval.
The Panthers put in a great team effort and Curtis Carr was rewarded for his game when he was named player of the grand final. In what was a great sign for bush footy, both sides bumped into each other at several watering holes on the way home and shared stories and a couple of refreshments about their battle on the field earlier in the day.
