The Saints utilised a strong tailwind at Jack Arrow Oval to take a 24-12 lead into half-time but Panthers stormed home, scoring three unanswered and converted tries in the second half to ultimately claim a come-from-behind, 30-24 victory.

The win keeps Panthers on top of the Group 10 ladder while defeat pushes St Pat's further away from the finals frame and, realistically, they'll now need to win most of their final six games to even be a chance.

"It was tough wind to run into during that first half and they made the most of it to get off to a good start. Then in the second half we tried to make the most of it. It was a very scrappy game but we're near where we need to be," Bathurst Panthers captain-coach Doug Hewitt said.

"It was a great test to see where we're at. When you're behind like that some teams can throw the towel in and say it's going to be too hard, or they can rally together and find a way to get back in it.

"Nothing was really going our way but the boys stuck together. We knew we could beat them. We just needed to get the bounce of the ball and to bide our time."

For the Saints, it was another case of the one that got away.

They led 2019's first all-Bathurst derby 10-nil early before eventually being run down and losing 22-20.

"We went in at 24-12 ... [but] it was probably a 12-point wind and the second half was a really grinding affair. Panthers ended up getting us right towards the end and it's very disappointing to lose after having that lead," St Pat's captain-coach Luke Branighan said.

"It's a big step in the right direction considering our performance in the game before.

"I do think Panthers are probably the side to beat so for us to go with them for the majority of the match is encouraging but unfortunately we can't afford any more losses if we're to think about sneaking into the semi-finals."