Mittagong Lions hold their nerve to claim nailbiting opening win

It was the first match of the season for the Lions' First Grade side, up against a formidable Kangaroos outfit which was committed to causing an upset at the Mittagong Sports Ground.

After a bye in round one, the Lions were rusty in the first half of the game. In the brief moments when they had the ball, they looked threatening and made good ground up the field.

However, almost inevitably, an error would cause a turnover and halt Mittagong's progress.

Despite their faltering start, the Lions went in to the half-time break only two points down and aware that they were still a very real chance of winning.

"We'd completed at 50 per cent, and we know that's not good enough," Mittagong coach Warwick Carter said.

"We don't train like that, so we don't play like that. We had to go back to basics and figure out what we do as a team, and that is get back in the grind and play with completions."

The second half was almost an entirely different match. The Lions got off to a fast start with an early try, at which point began a stalemate.

For much of the second half, neither Mittagong nor the Kangaroos scored as play trailed back and forth across the field.

The more time went without a try, the more the tension grew and the prevailing feeling from the sidelines was that the next team to score would win.

Finally, a clever try to Lions hooker Nick Eccleston snapped the deadlock and gave Mittagong an eight-point lead.

Eccleston's effort caused an uproarious cheer from the crowd, and vindicated Carter's belief in his side's offensive ability.

"I always had faith that they would be able to do it, it was just about when we did it," he said.

"They stuck to their structures, did the right thing, and I'm extremely happy that they got over at the point that they did."

Though the Kangaroos crossed for a try of their own with two minutes left in the match, only 60 seconds remained on the clock once the conversion was scored and play restarted. Mittagong launched the ball deep into the visitors' half, defended well to stifle any chance of a late upset, and claimed a 20-18 victory.

In a highly competitive First Grade division, Carter said, getting off to a good start was critical.

"A win over any team in the competition is a good win," he said.

"Especially over [the Kangaroos], with the quality forward pack that they've got and a lot of direction coming from their halves. Every single win that we get this year will amount to the same as the previous week."

After a week off due to Anzac Day, the Lions will next play on Sunday, May 2, in Picton against the Picton Magpies.

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