At half-time of Wednesday’s Peachey Shield final, the message from St Mary’s coach Bernard Wilson would have undoubtedly been for his side to post first points.
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Down by a try and up against a tough St Joseph’s Nyngan outfit, one that took out last year’s Richardson Shield, drawing level would be vital in a shortened half.
But a Nyngan try right off the kick-off bumped the visiting Joey’s boys’ advantage out to two tries – the shield their’s for the taking.
Wilson, though, wasn’t panicking.
And, in golden try extra-time, that faith was rewarded with a try from Declan McGregor in the corner to lift St Mary’s to a memorable comeback victory over a gallant Nyngan outfit that simply ran out of legs in the final game of the day.
“They kept trying hard,” Wilson said.
“We were a bit tired, they’re just kids ... we were a bit behind but we came back nicely.”
They’re good little kids and they’re competitors.
- St Mary's coach Bernard Wilson.
St Mary’s snuck past Bletchington Public School in its opening game of the finals, before recording wins over Mulyan and Forbes public schools to progress to the final four.
There, the Dubbo boys advanced to the final after accounting for St Matthew’s Mudgee.
“They’re good little kids and they’re competitors, we were confident they’d be up there,” Wilson added.