Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have fallen short in extraordinary circumstances, losing to Mounties 1-nil in the Harvey Norman Womens Premiership Grand Final at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday evening.
The first half was a bruising encounter for both sides fighting for possession and territory in the middle.
Canterbury-Bankstown went close in the opening 10 minutes when captain Gayle Broughton looked to have thrown the perfect cut out pass down the left edge. But the Bulldogs were not able to reel it in for the first try of the match.
The Bulldogs showed a lot of resilience in defence, holding out Mounties for several sets on their try-line midway through the first half.
Canterbury-Bankstown went close again moments later, this time down the right edge when they looked to have beaten Mounties for numbers. But a wayward pass went to ground with the Bulldogs and Mounties returning to the change-rooms nil-all after the halftime hooter.
Both teams started the second half hungry for points, with few opportunities on offer in the first stanza.
Though it would be the Bulldogs who would go close when centre Shenai Lendill looked to have scored the first try in the contest with 26 minutes left on the clock. But the referee had ruled that Lendill had knocked it on in the act of scoring.
Mounties would dominate possession, forcing Canterbury-Bankstown to defend their own line for multiple phases. Though it was Bulldog's left winger Cortez Te Pou making a crucial decision shooting out of the line to stop a certain Mounties 4-pointer.
With 3 minutes on the clock and Mounties in good field position, halfback Matilda Power stepped up to the plate and slotted a field-goal from 20 metres out to break the deadlock.
Mounties holding out the Bulldogs in the closing stages to secure the NSW Womens Premiership 1-0 on a wet Saturday evening in Leichhardt.
Mounties 1 (Field Goal: Matilda Power) def. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 0
