With the game deadlocked at 0-0 and Wanderers more than matching it with their Lithgow counterparts, the Panthers proceeded to pop in four goals between the 22nd and 32nd minutes to put Wanderers’ hopes of an upset win to bed.

The win secured the minor title and a home semi-final for Lithgow, and meant the end of the line for Wanderers.

Three of those goals came from Orange native and NSW Country gun Nic Milne’s stick too.

Milne blasted a hat-trick in the space of six minutes, scoring from short corners in the 22nd, 25th and 28th minutes to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead, which they only built on through Michael Charlton’s goal just before half-time, and Ron Charlton’s just after.

Panther’s Travis Cameron said his team started a bit slow but their four goals in ten minutes put them on track with Nic Milne a standout.

“Nic has been our best player all year, he’s real fit. He just runs and runs.”

Once Panthers were 5-0 up Cameron said he rested a few of the older blokes and let the younger ones get more of a run before the finals.

“We didn’t let any goals in when they were on so that was pretty good,” Cameron said.

Fifteen-year-old Dane Guffog got the three points for a really strong game, Cameron said.

Ron Charlton at the back got two points and Nic Milne one point.

“Nic Milne was very good, those short corners, they were just so clinical,” Wanderers player-coach Matt Johnson said.

“We were hoping to have a say in who won that minor premiership, that was our motivation on Saturday, but as I said Lithgow were just far too clinical.

“We played well for 20 minutes but we just fell asleep, they took their chances.

“A bit like we’ve done all year we just had that lapse, that little period where we’d concede.”

Panthers will now play Bathurst Souths in the major semi-final and Bathurst St Pat’s will play Lithgow Zig Zag in the minor.

LITHGOW PANTHERS 5 (Nic Milne 3, Michael Charlton, Ron Charlton) def ORANGE WANDERERS 0