FIRED up forward packs, big hits, sin bins and plenty of chatter from the players and the crowd - Sunday's Peter McDonald Premiership Bathurst derby at Carrington Park had it all.
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And for the Bathurst Panthers it also came with a win.
For the second time this season Panthers overcame their rivals St Pat's, coming back from a half-time deficit to run out 26-14 winners.
In a stop-start affair, plagued by penalties and attempts from both teams to get under each other's skin, it was Pat's who looked up for the challenge as they got out to a 10-4 half-time advantage.
But from there the Saints capitulated under the weight of injuries and poor discipline.
The Saints found themselves down to 11 players at one stage in the second half due to two separate sin bin offences.
Panthers were able to get flow and width back to their game while they had a numbers advantage, and they utilised that rhythm to score three tries in that time.
Among those leading the way for the Panthers in a run of 22 unanswered points was recent recruit Riley Cheshire.
Cheshire and his brother Brady have proven to be valuable additions to the Panthers pack midway through this campaign.
"They came out pretty hard and fast at the start there. I think us middles just had a gutful of it and started to switch on a bit, and once we were able to find some momentum we were able to keep it going," Riley said.
"That's the sort of footy you see at the local derby ... [and] that's the sort of game my brother and I are built for, that rough-and-tough stuff out this way.
"It's been two years since I've played footy. My brother signed first, and I thought 'I may as well have a crack now' and here we are.
"It's been pretty fun to come back and play country footy after being in the city for some time."
The physicality throughout the game took its toll in a big way.
Panthers lost prop David Sellers midway through the first half while his opposing number at Pat's, Josh Hanrahan, also came from the field before the break.
Pat's will also be sweating on the condition of hooker Hayden Bolam after he was helped from the field with a knee injury 10 minutes before half-time.
The Saints lost both their wingers, Matt Beattie and Call Naden, to leg injuries while Panthers' interchange player Braydon Burgess was hospitalised from a head clash midway through the second half.
A physical start to the game set the tone for the rest of the match.
Panthers gave away a host of penalties during a brutal opening 20 minutes of the game, in which Matt Beattie and Aaron Mawhinney both scored for the Saints to take a 10-0 lead.
After botching several chances close to the try line Panthers eventually made the most of an opportunity five minutes out from half-time when a dummy from Joey Bugg gave him the space he needed to score.
Just as Panthers looked like they might be making inroads they lost Brady Cheshire to the sin bin just a few minutes into the new half.
Despite the setback Panthers were able to keep Pat's out, and that defensive effort would help turn the game on its head.
Saints' Cooper Akroyd became the next player to take a visit to the sin bin in the 53rd minute for delaying play.
Panthers hooker Hudson White dived across to score on the next Panthers set, and a conversion off the post from Josh Rivett made it 10-all.
When Blake Lawson put Panthers in front for the first time, with a try down the right wing, Caleb Wardman joined teammate Akroyd in the bin when he was cited for a late hit after the play.
Panthers opted for a penalty goal to extend the lead to 18-10, before tries to Callum Limon and Jed Betts put the game away.
Jak Colgate ended almost an hour-long scoreless run for the Saints with his consolation try inside the last three minutes of the game.
It's a result that all but ensures the Panthers' place in the finals with three games remaining.
For Pat's it sees them surrender second place on the Group 10 table to Orange Hawks.
BATHURST PANTHERS 26 (Joey Bugg, Hudson White, Blake Lawson, Callum Limon, Jed Betts tries; Josh Rivett 2 conversions; Rivett penalty goal) defeated ST PAT'S 14 (Matt Beattie, Aaron Mawhinney, Jak Colgate tries; Willie Wright conversion)
