A MAN-of-the-Match performance from Ash Cosgrove has secured Bathurst St Pat’s the Group 10 under 15s premiership.
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The star fullback crossed for two tries – one of them the match-sealer – as his side ran out 28-22 winners over a brave Orange CYMS outfit.
St Pat's started the better, and recorded the game's first points when Josh Belfanti latched on to a handy Tyler Colley cross-field kick to score.
As the half progressed CYMS were able to overcome a litany of errors - they made six in the game's first 15 minutes - to gradually gain parity in the arm wrestle.
Their persistence paid dividends when centre Andrew Millan latched onto a perfectly-timed pass to cross untouched. Addison Williams added the extras from out wide and the green and golds were in front 6-4 at the break.
CYMS started the second period in disastrous fashion when St Pat's kick off when dead, and moments later the blue and whites crossed through Cosgrove to hit the front again.
Just two minutes later they scored again via a Jayden Fisher try, and having skipped out to a 16-6 advantage the blue and whites looked to have one hand on the premiership trophy.
It proved a flimsy grasp, with CYMS hitting back through Millan’s second just five minutes later to keep themselves in the contest.
Addi Williams’ fantastic sideline conversion lifted their spirits again, and suddenly Pat's' advantage was just four points.
But a brilliant, touchline-skirting effort from Colley once again gave St Pat's a buffer zone, with the speedster compounding his success by improving the position to touch down practically underneath the posts, giving himself the easiest of conversions and his side a 22-12 lead.
Addi Williams scored and converted his own try to bring the margin back to four once again before Cosgrove put paid to the green and gold’s hopes, beating several CYMS defenders on his way to an 80-metre try under the posts.
Liam Kennedy crossed for CYMS in the shadows of full time, but it was too little too late as Pat’s prevailed.
St Pat’s coach Chris O’Neill revealed Cosgrove had penned a contract with an NRL club earlier in the week and looked destined to make his mark in the game.
“He’s been consistent all year,” O’Neill said of his fullback.
“They targeted him because they know how good he is, but to his credit he still made breaks and scored a good try.”
CYMS coach Joseph Duffy – himself preparing for a grand final in CYMS’ premier league side – was full of praise for Cosgrove’s definitive involvements.
“We spoke all week about watching him, especially when he got into dummy half, but he was just too good,” the young mentor said.
“We came here confident and I thought we had the better of the play, but it wasn’t to be.”
O’Neill said the game was “a see-sawing” affair, with the result far from assured until the final moments.
“Some of our silly mistakes let them back into it,” the coach said.
“To CYMS’ credit they hung in there and it was anyone’s game.”
BATHURST ST PAT’S 28 (Ash Cosgrove 2, Josh Belfanti, Tyler Colley, Jayden Fisher tries; Colley 4 goals) defeated ORANGE CYMS 22 (Andrew Millan 2, Addi Williams, Liam Kennedy tries; Williams 4 goals)
