Throughout the first half of the Christie & Hood sudden-death semi final First Grade game at Tom Knight Memorial Oval on Sunday things were going according to plan for the Cobar Roosters.
The Roosters scored the first two tries of the match and were leading the Dunedoo Swans 18-14 at the half time break.
However their game plan fell to bits when the Roosters returned to the field in the second half and the Swans took control of the match to walk away with a 32-18 victory and claim a berth in the 2020 season grand final.
The Cobar side looked good right from the outset of Sunday’s game and were dealing with all of the heavy punishment the Swans’ defenders were handing out.
Following an early penalty which improved the Roosters’ field position, the Cobar side’s patience was rewarded when their powerful Forward Jack Govett forced his way over six minutes into the game to score first points.
When Jimmy Neyland then landed the long range conversion, the Roosters crowd were encouraged their side could produce a win.
Shortly after a breakaway run by Lock Loma Atuau had Cobar back on the attack and pressure and patience on the line paid off once again when Fullback Tim Hilliam spun out of a tackle and crossed out wide to score.
Nyland once again nailed the sideline conversion to give Cobar a 12-0 lead.
Just before the first drinks break, Dunedoo took advantage of a penalty on the half way mark and when the Roosters defence gave the Swans’ pacey Fullback Nathan Orr a bit too much room, he ran around them and scored out wide. The sideline conversion attempt was waved away and the margin was now 12-4.
After the break the Swans scored two back-to-back tries to take a 14-12 lead before the Roosters regrouped and Hooker Jarrad Whitty (who was heavily marked all game by the Swans’ defenders) touched down for a try.
Neyland kicked his third goal to put the Roosters back in front at 18-14.
The Roosters defenders foiled Dunedoo’s attempt at a try just before half time to ensure the home side held on to their narrow four point psychological advantage when they went to the sheds at the long break.
That psychological advantage however seemed to work in Dunedoo’s favour and they fought back hard in the second half pounding the Roosters into submission.
Cobar’s attack also waned in the second half and they didn’t give themselves the opportunity to score as they had done in the first half.
With the Swans running in three unanswered tries, the clock was ticking down and with just six minutes to play, the Roosters needed three tries of their own to win, however Dundedoo held on to claim the 32-18 victory.
