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Gunnedah may have played its last ‘get out of jail’ card in Group 4 Rugby League after a come-from-behind 40-18 win against last placed, Oxley Diggers at Kitchener Park on Sunday.
Trailing at the break, the Bulldogs first grade was rattled early by the ever-improving Diggers outfit.
Possession was poor and set completions virtually non-existent.
“The first half was pretty embarrassing to say the least,” Gunnedah coach Shane Rampling said.
“We didn’t respect the ball, gave away possession too cheaply and gave Diggers ample opportunity to attack us and they did.
“They had the wind with them, they used to their benefit and put us on the backfoot.
“We just didn’t aim up and went in the sheds down (on the scoreboard).
“It was a fair reflection on the game at the point time.”
Only some individual, try-scoring brilliance from Bulldogs’ hooker Oliver Neader and pivot Matt Brady, shed light on what was an otherwise frustratingly poor first 40 minutes of football for the home side.
By the turn of the second half, it was as though a different side had pulled on the boots.
The combinations so desperately sought, started to gel as the gaps in Oxley’s defensive line widened.
“We were lucky we had the wind in the second half and we started playing a bit smarter,” the coach said.
“We had to get back to basics and work on our shape and number up in defence,” the coach said.
“We know we can score points when we keep our shape, run on to the ball and have options around the ball.
“Matt Brady and Ollie Neader led the way and we benefited on the back of that.”
As the points margin drifted so did Oxley’s resolve, compounded by the Bulldogs’ superior match fitness which eventually overran the visitors.
It’s the second time in recent weeks the Bulldogs have rebounded from a points deficit and horror first-half to go on and win the match, after also overcoming Wee Waa in round seven in similar fashion.
In both second halves the Bulldogs also kept their opposition scoreless.
“That’s a huge tick for us,” Rampling said.
“To keep them scoreless in the second half was a massive bonus for us.
“We did the same thing against Wee Waa.
“As a coach you can’t ask for much more than that.”
Despite Oxley’s bottom ranking on the Group 4 leaderboard, it was a match Rampling considered was always going to be difficult regardless.
“In some ways yeah we did (get out of jail),” he said.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game, they came here to play and certainly had us under the pump for long periods of the game.
“Oxley are improving every week.”
Gunnedah forward Jason Smith picked up the referee’s points after his great game in the middle.
In reserve grade, the Bulldogs were back to their bristling best after a likewise strong second-half performance against Diggers.
After suffering heavy defeats to North Tamworth and Quirindi in previous rounds, the Dogs ran out 36-18 winners on the weekend with Bulldog Matt Whitton snaring the three referee’s points and Robert Briggs, one.
Gunnedah’s Ladies League Tag side was also victorious, securing a hard-fought 22-20 win against second-placed Diggers.
The Bulldogs have the bye this weekend before hitting the road again to face Wee Waa the following week.