WHEN Orange CYMS scored early in the second half of Saturday's top of the table Western League Tag clash against St Pat's it put the green and golds in a position to score a big win at Jack Arrow Sporting Complex.
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However, down 12-10, the defending premier St Pat's side produced the sort of football that's made them impossible for anyone to stop this season.
A ruthless 20 minute period of play to close out the game saw the Saints come away 24-12 winners, a result that moves them into an outright lead in the Group 10 conference.
The highly anticipated clash brought together the only two remaining unbeaten teams across the entire competition and it delivered on its potential.
Nothing could split Pat's and CYMS in an 18-all result earlier this campaign but on Saturday it was the Saints' pace on both edges, line breaks through the middle of the park and strong defence that proved the difference.
Saints' Meredith Jones said her side were forced to lift their game after being put under the pump by the CYMS' offence.
"They're such a young and quick side and we knew that they'd be coming at us for the 50 minutes, so our defence had to be good," she said.
"With a lot of the scorelines we've had lately we haven't had to do a whole lot of defending. It was really good to have to work hard for the win today.
"They've all grown up playing footy together. They've got good ball skills, they've got pace and they've got good footy heads on them. Mandy [Moore] is normally there running the show but Bec Prestwidge is coming through really well.
"We knew we just had to fix our defence in the second half and make sure we cut back on those points."
Pat's got out to a 10-0 lead when Darcie Morrison and Samantha Hanrahan both scored on the left edge in identical fashion - each benefiting from excellent cut out passes to the left wing from Bronte Emanuel.
CYMS' Emily Irwin was able to respond just before the break when missed tags from three Pat's defenders allowed her to score.
Bec Prestwidge's conversion made it 10-6 at half-time.
Prestwidge then gave Pat's a scare when she pounced on a well directed grubber kick to score less than two minutes into second half, and converted to put her side up for the first time.
That woke the Saints' offence up.
Jones made the most of a two-versus-one overlap to quickly put the hosts back in front and then Emanuel scored through the centre of the park to make it 20-12.
Ebony O'Neill capped off an improved second half of football from the Saints with her try close to the siren.
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BATHURST ST PAT'S 24 (Darcie Morrison, Samantha Hanrahan, Meredith Jones, Bronte Emanuel, Ebony O'Neill tries; Mish Somers 2 conversions) defeated ORANGE CYMS 12 (Emily Irwin, Bec Prestwidge tries; Prestwidge 2 conversions)
