On Sunday the mighty Pythons travelled to Molong for the elimination semi-final.
It started out as a good day for the boys, who turned up nice and early to warm up and start thinking about the game.
Yet another great Canowindra crowd travelled to support the boys, making it feel like a home game.
The Pythons started the game well by pushing the Molong scrum all around the park, with Molong not able to win a scrum the whole first half. The forwards dominated the up front tussle, so it was up to the back line to make the metres for the Pythons.
And from the start they showed that they were not afraid to take on the defence, although it appeared quite the opposite from the Molong team. With the boys having most of the ball from the start it was not going to be long before they would cross the line.
The Molong team had a scrum ten metres out from their own try line, and with a great push from the Python scrum, Lloyd Jackson was able to steal the ball from his opposing half back's hands and go over for the opening try of the match.
This put a lot in confidence in the Pythons outfit, who were on the charge not long after down the side line until a pass went into the wrong hands and the Molong winger was able to run down the field and score a try.
This was, however the only time the Molong team even looked like scoring. The try was converted to give the Molong team a two point lead with twenty minutes gone.
The Pythons still had the game in their favour however, by making a lot of metres all over the park.
With about five minutes left in the half, the Canowindra forwards had another chance to put points on the board. A scrum only five metres out from the Molong try line was able to easily push it over for number 8 Adam Nash, who picked up the ball up and dived over the line to take Canowindra back into the lead at the half time break.
After the break the Canowindra boys were probably guilty of one main thing and that was just to play simple footy.
We knew that Molong was not going to trouble our try line and so did they.
However, their goal kicker was having a dream day with the boot and slotted penalty goals from all over the park by kicking five goals in the second half.
With this frustrating the Canowindra team, we started to play a panic style of footy, and not settling down and doing the hard yards up the middle of the field.
As the Canowindra big back line was heavily guarded by the opposition, it was hard for them to get the space that they needed to find the gaps in the Molong line.
When the penalty goals kept on coming, the margin in the end became to much for the Pythons to come back from and consequently, we bowed out of the semis in a frustrating way, despite knowing we were the better team on the park.
However to Molong's credit, they secured the win and kept their season alive.
It was a great effort for the boys, yet a disappointing way to bow out of the comp.
Unfortunately we could not wrap up a 60th birthday present for Peter Allison but managed to have a few drinks with him that night.
Hope Pete had a good night and will be disappointing not to have him around for next season, though we wish him the best of luck and thank him for his services this year.
Also a few other people the club would like to thank would be Marc Wheeldon for putting in a lot of time in Captain Coaching the team this year. He did a very good job to get the team as far as we went and I think since training two nights a week from February he has only been absent on two occasions, which is a great effort all by itself.
To John Hennen our strapper - he has also put a lot off time into the club this year by getting the boys on the paddock week in week out I know there is a lot of players who would not been able to play this year if it wasn't for his expertise.
And also to Graham Rice who has been an assistant to Marc this year at training and has been to every game this year and done a lot of work behind the scenes to keep the games going smoothly.
This Saturday Marc and the boys thought it would be a good idea to have a few drinks for the end of a tough season and have a bit of fun. We have decided to invite all players who have played for us this year and to anyone that has helped out to come and join us for a game of golf teeing of at 10am.
All supporters and players are then invited to a BBQ at the Canowindra Hotel from about 12:30 onwards. Tony has booked a band in for the night so hopefully we can get as many people there as possible and have a good day.
Presentation night will be the Saturday the 6th of October at the Canowindra Ex-Services club. So hopefully everyone could pen that in their diary and come and celebrate the season for the Pythons.
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