While there's still just over a month left in the Group 10 premier league regular season Orange CYMS' hopes of a top three finish are all but dashed following Saturday afternoon's hammering at the hands of the surging Lithgow Workies, and even earning a home final looks to be a monumental task too.
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Fifth-placed CYMS were "hopeful" of taking down the fourth-placed Workies, in captain-coach Dom Maley's words, on Saturday, a victory that would've drawn the green and golds level on the table with the Lithgow outfit.
Instead Workies rolled to a dominant 54-18 victory to push four points clear of CYMS and go a long way to resigning Maley's outfit to a battle for fifth, a seemingly fierce one too with Cowra, Oberon and Bathurst St Pat's all still in the mix as well.
We got a few early in the game to add to our growing injury toll but, honestly, it's a credit to Lithgow because they were very dominant.
- CYMS captain-coach Dom Maley
"We came here hopeful of a win ... but unfortunately they played over the top of us," Maley said, adding he'll be taking stock mid-week after a couple of injuries too.
"We got a few early in the game to add to our growing injury toll but, honestly, it's a credit to Lithgow because they were very dominant."
CYMS were well and truly in the clash for the opening 40 minutes at Lithgow's Tony Luchetti Sportsground, they led 6-nil and then 12-6 in the first half although they did trail by two points at the half-time break.
After that it was somewhat of a bloodbath as Workies ran in 40 points to six in the second half, the home side's stunning effort led by a magnificent four-try performance from Greg Alderson.
Those six CYMS' points came via a late try from Aidan Baker and a conversion from Luke Petrie
"The effort was there from our guys, even towards the end [when we] scored a try with about 10 minutes to go, so I wont doubt the effort," Maley said.
"We just have to get a bit better in regards to slowing down the play the ball and not letting them roll on top of us."
With his side trailing 12-6 Alderson imposed himself in the late stages of the opening half, scoring a quick-fire double to give Lithgow a 14-12 lead.
Tui Oloapu crossed not long after the break to kick-start Workies' rampant finish and Keelan Bresac grabbed his second not long after, before Corey Willmott and Eli Felton crossed too.
Alderson scored his third before Baker gave CYMS something to smile about with a length-of-the-field effort, but it was to no avail as Alderson scored again straight away and Felton capped off the win with a 75th-minute four-pointer.
The victory continues Workies' stunning surge up the ladder, it was the fifth win on the trot after a sluggish at best start to 2019.
"They decided to show up and play a bit of footy, it was good, we scored some nice tries," Lithgow coach Graeme Osborne said.
"We kept the foot down, played some flat and fast footy in the second half, playing up the middle of the ruck, that was good.
"Greg had a big game, I thought Tui played well, Keelan Bresac on the wing come in and inserted himself quite well.
"We really needed those two points to consolidate a spot in the semis," Osborne said.
With a tough match against Blayney on the road next week, Osborne said he is just 'looking for another win'.
- LITHGOW WORKIES 54 (Greg Alderson 4, Eli Felton 2, Keelan Bresac 2, Corey Willmott, Tui Oloapu tries; Josh Howarth 7 goals) def ORANGE CYMS 18 (Travis Alderholf, Dom Maley, Ryan Griffin, Aidan Baker tries; Luke Petrie goal)
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