Neale went bang-bang in the space of three minutes in the decider's opening term to gift the visiting St Pat's boys a 2-0 lead over the Wanderers in Orange.

Tyler Willott then scored four minutes from half-time, his a wonderfully worked, long-range team goal, to propel the Bathurst boys out to a three-goal lead.

It proved a match-winning buffer, too, as both sides scrapped for the ascendancy over the final half-hour before time was called and St Pat's crowned champions.

All three of St Pat's goals were field goals, the minor premiers' slick stick work a feature of their 2019 season and indeed their crowning moment.

But it's the work of the St Pat's defence that shone bright as well.

The young Wanderers had ample chances to crack the blue and white wall but couldn't land any blows, let alone one potent enough to knock out a third men's PLH rival in as many weeks.

Wanderers enjoyed 10 short corner chances to their rivals four and St Pat's keeper Taylor Newton said the work of the Bathurst defence is what he'll remember out of the 2019 triumph.

"Our strength comes down to the runners we have coming out. BK (Ben Kelly) must have gotten his body in front of seven or eight of them," Newtown said.

"It's a team effort as always and that's what we're about here at St Pat's.

"If I was there by myself there probably would have been a few go in but it's a team that ends up saving those goals.

"It was a hard fought match but that's what we've been training for all year."

It was Newton's first premier league title with the club and St Pat's first since 2015, when they sensationally thumped Lithgow Panthers 6-0 in the big one.

And while Saturday's victory wasn't anywhere near than emphatic, that was in part due to the Wanderers' resolve.

The Orange boys never stopped coming and have earned plenty of admirers after their run through the finals.

Coach Mark Pengilly tipped his side to grow "immensely" following their grand final experience.

"Especially with our backline, they're 18 or 19 ... there's so much hockey in front of these blokes," he said.

"It's been a roller-coaster year. We battled at the start but we found a new level at the end of the year and we're starting to understand what premier league is all about.

"We had more chances then we thought we'd get today, especially in that second half.

"We thought we'd get back into it in that third quarter but they scrambled hard and kept us out of it."

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