The Orange side, playing at home, dominated the opening 20 minutes and remained competitive throughout the match, but suffered a 6-nil loss at the hands of the competition leaders.

“We’ll tell him the score doesn’t reflect the game,” Kinross-CYMS player Madie Smith said of what they would tell coach Pete Shea, who was away with the NSW under 21 women’s team.

“The first 20 minutes was the best bit for us. The tempo was going our way and we played well. Then we backed off and became complacent.

“There are positives to take out of it.”

Kinross dominated play in the opening 20 minutes and spent much of the time in their attacking half.

They had a number of opportunities but Panthers keeper Jess Luchetti pulled off some top saves.

When Panthers finally got a chance to score they took it, with Amy Capaldi powering her shot into the back of the goal.

Roxsanne Van Veen made it 2-nil when she slammed her shot into the goal for Zig Zag.

With three minutes left on the clock Andrea Gillard converted a short corner chance to make it 3-nil.

Then, with 21 second left in the opening stanza, Kinross-CYMS keeper Emma McLelland, who was making her PLH debut, was drawn out of position and Katie Hamment was able to convert her chance for Panthers to lead 4-nil at the break.

GALLERY: PREMIER LEAGUE HOCKEY IN ORANGE

Things were tighter in the second half but the Lithgow side was still able to add to its total when Abigail Wilson worked her way into the circle and then fired her reverse stick shot into the goal.

The Kinross defence lifted with Ellen Van Hoek safe at the back, and Madie Smith and Chloe Barrett pushing the team forward.

Kelsey Gray also showed good speed for the home side and Georgie Watson put herself in some good scoring positions.

However, Lithgow had the final say when Wilson scored her second after some great lead-up work from her teammates.

“Once we figured out our passing and started to pass the ball to our advantage, we were alright,” Panthers senior player Amanda Saladine said of the win.

“Once we got our structure sorted, it came good. Our defence was not too bad. That was pretty good to hold them to nil.”

Saladine said it took some time for her side’s attack to settle in.

“Our attack’s pretty lovely if we pass the ball around,” she smiled.

“The first part of the first half was tight because we weren’t letting the ball do the work, but once we got the passing sorted and hit that circle, we were alright, once we found our groove.”

Saladine praised the entire team for the victory.

“We all just do our job out there and cover for each other when it’s needed,” she said.

“I think that’s the blessing of being a Panther. We don’t have to do anything outlandish. We just do our jobs.”

Smith praised McLelland on her PLH debut and said she made some good saves in a tough game.

LITHGOW PANTHERS 6 (Amy Capaldi, Roxsanne Van Veen, Andrea Gillard, Katie Hamment) def KINROSS-CYMS 0.