An all time try saving tag by Maddy Gillies with only seconds left on the clock to seal the win 24-22.
A remarkable reversal of fortunes from one half to another at Laurie Daley Oval on Saturday has seen the Cootamundra Bulldogs league tag side move one step closer to a debut Group 9 grand final appearance.
After trailing the Tumut Blues 22-4 at half-time and looking like a season that promised so much would come to a disappointing end, the Bulldogs came out a completely different outfit in the second half, producing a stunning 24-22 victory.
For the second consecutive week, the Bulldogs conceded a try in the opening minutes of the match, with poor completion of their sets when in possession proving a real issue.
A well-constructed try to Trysta Willoughby saw Cootamundra register their only points of the opening half, with Tumut crossing a further three times after their initial four-pointer.
The second half began in a much different fashion for the Bulldogs.
Amarli Kelleher continued her sensational season of try-scoring, splitting the Blues’ defence from inside her own half before racing away to score and give Bulldogs fans a sense of hope.
Kelleher had her second in another long-range effort not long after, and there was life left in the spirited Bulldogs as they began to eat into the margin Tumut had created.
When Willoughby scored in the corner again, it was just a four-point game and the Bulldogs were coming home with a wet sail.
Playing with renewed energy and confidence and seemingly in full control of the match, Cootamundra’s pressure eventually told on the Blues’ defence.
After defending back-to-back sets numerous times throughout the second half, the Blues finally cracked once more.
A short pass from Willow Hall put an electric Kelleher into space, with the latter strolling past several would-be defenders to score next to the posts and complete her hat-trick.
A Kristen Byrne conversion of Kelleher’s final try put the Bulldogs in front for the first time in the match, leaving them to survive some nervous final moments to close out the victory.
Tumut had one last opportunity to snatch the lead back, but a desperate tag from Maddy Gillies saw the Cootamundra players and supporters erupt as they secured their place in the preliminary final.
Sunday’s major semi-final result also fell the Bulldogs’ way, with Wagga Brothers defeating Temora 14-0.
It means the Bulldogs will once again meet the Dragons, this time with a place in the Group 9 grand final on the line and the winner to face Brothers in the following week’s decider.
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