Batting first against Goulburn’s top side, Moss Vale got off to a reasonable start before losing captain Dave Edmends for 7.

Youngsters Matt Arnull and Owen Chivers steadied the ship before they both fell in the 20s, Chivers 23 and Arnull 26.

Their wickets prompted a middle order collapse with Jordan Grey, Terry Loader, Murray Burgoyne and Reece Woods falling cheaply.

But a rear-guard action from Troy Brown (17), Blake Parker (10) and Cameron Facer (10 not out) saw the visitors limp to 119 in 46 overs.

Edmends said the score was below par, but they knew they were still a chance of winning.

“We were definitely worried out score wouldn’t be enough,” Edmends said.

“We had hoped to get up around 180, but even still with the total we got we gave ourselves a chance.”

Moss Vale’s bowlers gave nothing away in the 26 overs before stumps, to have Coolavin reeling at 5-45 and the game in the balance.

Two quick wickets on day two left the Workers struggling, before a good seventh-wicket partnership had them 7-94 at drinks and back in control of the game.

But Moss Vale struck again, and again, and again, to have Coolavin all out two runs shy for 117.

Edmends said it was a thriller.

“A game like that with a low total is so close, tense and exciting - much more so than an eight wicket win,” Edmends said.

The skipper paid tribute to the five under-16s players who stepped up for first grade, including debutant Woods.

But he said the win wouldn’t have been possible without Scott McKie’s 4-16 and Brown’s 0-26 off 19 overs.

“Scott’s had the ball on a string for the last couple of weeks,” he said.

“And Troy was very unlucky. He beat the bat a lot.”

Workers captain Jason Apps said the match would be remembered as much for the state of the pitch as the result. He described the pitch as “shocking”.