OXLEY Diggers dug their way back from 24 points down to claim a long-awaited maiden Group 4 win yesterday.
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The smile on Diggers captain-coach Jamie Trindall’s face said it all after the Diggers outgunned Narrabri 54-38 at the Manilla Showground.
“It’s good to finally get that win after being hammered last year and the start of this year,” he said.
They’ve come close a couple of times this season but just hadn’t been able to finish it off.
Yesterday was a topsy-turvy affair.
The Blues opened the scoring just a few minutes in from a miscued grubber kick from Diggers five-eighth Chris Hunt.
From there, they kicked out to a 24-nil lead, with first try-scorer and five-eighth Jamie Sampson orchestrating things beautifully down the right- hand side with Jed Smith and Zac Buckley.
But when Diggers centre Richard Kennedy crossed after a Blues error inside their 22 and, from the kick-off Iiona Divavesi rumbled through the Blues defence and sent Trindall away, the momentum started to turn.
Within an instant they were on level terms, half-back Robert Bergan’s second converted try in the space of five minutes making it 24-all with six minutes to go in the first half.
The Blues edged back in front through Sam Sadler in the shades of half-time but then, after scoring early in the second half to push out to 10 in front, they spilled the kick-off.
Diggers made them pay, Hunt crossing for the first of his two.
His second saw them, with the conversion, hit the front – the five-eighth brushing off several Blues defenders.
Fullback Dillon Walford slipped his way through to restore the Blues’ lead but it was short-lived, with Dustin Munn putting the Diggers back in front.
Minutes later the Blues found themselves a man down, with Sampson binned for 10 for backchat after they thought they had pushed Trindall into touch only to have a penalty awarded against them.
Captain Lachie Cameron felt it was a “massive turning point”.
There was only four in it and they not only lost a player but one of their playmakers.
Sampson was the captain at the time with Cameron off injured, so he felt he had the right to question the decision.
Diggers took advantage, Micah Scarth burrowing over from dummy half to extend their lead to 10.
Will Saunders then sealed it for them with a 90m runaway with just over five to go.
The key for them was patience, and belief.
“We kept saying we know we can beat them,” Trindall said.
It slipped away for the Blues with their defence.
“We just let in a couple of soft ones, simple one on one misses, and let them back in,” Cameron said.
“We went away from what we were trying to do and never regained it.”