IT was a local affair when the Lithgow Bears and the Lithgow Giants took to the field in the latest round of the New Era Cup rugby league competition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Giants saw several newer players take the field, adding to their experience level.
The additions paid off for the Giants who crossed quickly in the match just five minutes in courtesy of a Brett Jones try.
The conversion was unsuccessful, giving the Giants a four point lead and a great confidence boost.
It was short lived however, with both Chris Porter and Blake Collins crossing for the Bears in quick succession.
One successful conversion saw the Bears hold a slight four point lead.
Porter crossed again less than 10 minutes later, extending the Bears’ lead to 14-4.
Another Bears try, this time out wide by Harley Osland, and a successful conversion dragged them out to a 14 point lead.
The Giants hit back however thanks to a classy Zach Jones try just before half time to put themselves back in the game.
Both teams headed for half time with the score sitting at 18-8 in the Bears’ favour.
The break brought relief for both teams, as tempers flared due to contention with refereeing decisions resulting in minor scuffles and large amounts of frustration.
Taking the field for the second half, both teams came out firing but it was the Giants who got the first points of the half, with Jones crossing again in the first minute.
The Bears’ Joe Noon hit back quickly and a successful conversion left the score at 24-12.
There was a nasty incident for the Bears’ Wes McKinnon, who was taken from the field in an ambulance in the second half due to badly broken ankle.
This forced a stop in play for McKinnon to receive medical treatment.
The Bears felt the loss as play resumed, with the Giants’ Shaun Faulkner managing to cross and a successful Nev Tunner conversion bringing the final score to 24-18 in the Bears’ favour.
The Giants stayed competitive for the whole 80 minutes and it will be interesting to see how the remainder of their season develops.
The Bears also have a number of positives to take from the game, however they will feel the loss of McKinnon in the coming weeks.
Best wishes to McKinnon for a speedy recovery.
Today’s games will see Lithgow Giants take on Villages United, while the Lithgow Bears will have a week off with a forfeit from CSU Yellow.