The Cobar Roosters and Gulgong Terriers played a thriller of a game for Round 3 of the Christie and Hood Castlereagh League competition on Saturday afternoon at Tom Knight Memorial Oval.
Down 20-10 at half time, the Roosters fought their way back into the match in the second half to level the scores at 20-all with just 15 minutes left to play in the match however the visitors ran in a late try to claim a close 26-20 win.
Gulgong opened the scoring early in Saturday’s game with a try to replacement Harry May.
A converted try soon after to their No 8, Blake Gorrie gave the visitors a 10-0 lead.
Gulgong’s third try by pacey winger Kyle Alexander was also converted and gave the Terriers a commanding 16-0 lead.
With 13 minutes left until half time, the Roosters pounced with a great try to Ash Davies which Jay Egan converted to close the margin to 16-6.
Alexander crossed again for this second try to push Gulgong’s leading margin out to 20-6.
David Watson scored for Cobar just before the break to close the gap to 20-10 at half time.
It was a tough battle after the re-start with neither side able to penetrate their goal lines.
The second half was already 17 minutes old before the Roosters put points on the board with veteran Jay Egan muscling his way over the line to score out wide on the wing.
His attempt at the conversion was waved away but the Roosters had taken the upper hand in the match.
Soon after Watson looked like scoring his second try for the game, however he was held up by the Gulgong defenders.
The Roosters however continued to attack their line.
Tim Hillam crossed under the posts on the last tackle and Egan’s conversion from in front locked up the scores at 20-all with 15 minutes left on the clock.
As the pressure mounted both sides were guilty of ball handling errors and it was a missed tackle that gave the Gulgong Terriers the opportunity to score a runaway try through Jonathan Smith which was converted to put the Terriers in front 26-20.
The Terriers once again broke away but a sensational try-saving tackle by Cobar’s Chris Deighton thwarted that attempt.
Both sides defended desperately for the remainder of the game which resulted in no further changes to the score with Gulgong finishing with a close 26-20 win.
Cobar was well served by Second Rower Jed Noonan who had a high work rate in defence, their Hooker Marty Turton along with Nathan McAndrew, Deighton and their try scorers Watson, Davies, Egan and Hillam.
The Roosters are at home again this Saturday and will host the Coonamble Bears at Tom Knight Memorial Oval.
