CANDELO-BEMBOKA will get another bite at the premiership apple after a massive blowout win over Eden on Saturday.
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The Group 16 reserve grade squad travelled to Eden to play in a rematch of last year’s grand final against the Eden Tigers, but went on to win 48-10.
In gusty winds with bouts of rain and a muddy pitch, the Panthers set about the task of eliminating the Tigers from the grand final running.
Early exchanges were level with both sides tackling hard and completing their sets.
It was the home side to break the deadlock first when Matt Evelyn was able to find some space and cross.
The conversion was left wanting, but the Tigers led 4-0.
However, it didn’t take long for the Panthers to get back in the match.
Big runs from the forward pack saw Grant Moon palm off a number of defenders to plant a try on the right side.
Josh Cochrane cleared the conversion and the visiting Panthers took the front 6-4.
The Candelo-Bemboka outfit then made incisive work towards the Eden line, but was held short on the fourth tackle.
Jordan Finnerty ran hard onto a quick pass and ploughed through three defenders to crash down at the posts.
The extras put the visitors comfortably ahead 12-4 early in the half.
Eden was missing key players, including coach Alan Aldridge and was a little uncharacteristic in its defence.
The side was without a few of its big men and had trouble dealing with the Panther forwards in Finnerty, Haywood Fraser and Grant Irvin.
The home side appeared almost weary as the Panthers hit the accelerator and began to surge forward with each set.
With the half-time buzzer nearing, Jake McDonald landed under the posts off a clever outside-inside offload.
The Panthers were showing plenty of enthusiasm during the half-time talk, while the home side returned to the field a little fatigued.
The Tigers rallied their efforts to hold out the Panthers for another 15 minutes.
However, once the dam broke a flood of points flowed in for the strong visiting squad.
Again it was Moon proving his immense strength to heave through the Eden defence right of the posts.
Soon after Ben Allen made his presence felt with an excellent chip kick from about 15 metres out.
A favourable bounce saw Allen regather the ball under the posts to score.
From the ensuing restart, the Panthers again pushed Eden to the limits getting within striking distance.
Play swept to the right, but the Panthers were held up just short of the line.
Out of dummy half, Bobby Taylor feigned right, but quickly stepped left and dived over to seal the match.
An accurate conversion saw the score blowing out to 36-4.
However, the frenzy wasn’t over as the Panthers continued to punish Eden’s right-side defence.
A fifth tackle kick by the Panthers went down to a lone Eden defender.
An unfortunate fumble saw him knock on for Taylor to scoop the ball and score again in almost the identical spot.
In an odd mirror performance, the Eden side had began causing some problems on its right side attack.
Young Eden winger Isaac Walker was running rings around his bigger Panthers opponents and soon made valuable ground with clever offloads.
Walker broke free of the Candelo-Bemboka line and passed in to James Thomas to break the scoring drought.
As a final insult to last year’s grand finalists, the Panthers put the nail in the coffin with a try on the final siren to Fraser.
A highlight for the club was the kicking of Cochrane, who cleared all seven shots at goal despite the difficult conditions.
The club now advances to the preliminary final rematch against the Bega Roosters.