GUNNEDAH Bulldogs bounced back for a crucial win while West Lions had to overcome a patchy Oxley Diggers to record valuable away wins in Group 4 matches yesterday.
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In Werris Creek the West Lions beat Oxley Diggers 48-29 after trailing 17-14 at halftime on David Taylor Park.
The Lions scored three converted tries in the first 10 minutes of the second half to seize control after the Diggers had gone tit for tat with the Lions in the first 40 minutes.
At Narrabri’s Collins Park, the Bulldogs prevailed 30-28 against the home town Blues in a see-sawing tussle where the Bulldogs led 20-10 at half-time after the Blues had levelled at 10-all at one stage.
The home side came “back with a big push” in the second half, Bulldogs president Ray McCoy said, to hit the front with about 10 minutes to go.
A few sets later Farran Lamb snuck over from dummy half from about 5m out for his second, and converted, to put the Bulldogs up by two.
“It was the first time in a long time we’ve played for the 80,” Ray McCoy said.
At David Taylor Park the Diggers scored fist half tries to lead 6-nil, 10-6, 16-10 and then 17-14 in a first half where a Nick Ellis try in the first three minutes set the Diggers up.
With the Lions failing to complete their sets of six it looked possible the Diggers might humble a below-strength Lions but three tries in the first 10 minutes of the second half, sparked by a brilliant piece of improvisation by fullback Sean Nean turned the game.
Nean grabbed the ball on the quarter, dribbled it through the defensive line, then somehow snatched it from the grasp of defenders to fire a long pass to Patrick McDonald for him to score out wide.
Seven minutes later a big Sam Taylor dummy and then an inside ball for prop Shane Salvador to crash through the Digger defences made it 36-17.
While the Diggers fought back twice to score tries from Liam Wise and Richard Kembrey, each time Taylor’s kickoff found the dead ball line it turned any hopes of a Digger fightback around.
“I don’t know what to say, an injured captain-coach Jamie Trindall said of his Diggers.
“Our defence lost us the game today.”
He was nursing an injured shoulder incurred in the final minute of the game as he was bulldogged down short of the line by West lock Tom Hine.
He and his Lions mates had undone any good work in the first half with some simple mistakes before sailing home on the back of a strong southerly in the second half. “That was a good win in the end,” said Lions captain-coach Phil Beaton.
“We held the ball in the second half. We had a few out today too so we had to dig deep. All the boys should be proud. We went tit for tat in the first half, they’d score and then knock on, then we’d score and knock on. But once we got the wind at our backs we were right.”
His big forwards, led by Shane Salvador, Ben Jarvis, Jake McLoughlin and Tom Hine powered up. Beaton also had a big game himself, leading from the front with some bustling runs.
