Westside led 24-16 after 15 minutes of the second half but Parkes came back and a Brandon Paige try seven minutes from time all but sealed the result.

But with three minutes remaining punches were thrown, resulting in Westside’s Brayden Peachey and Stevie Merritt sent off while Parkes’ Chad Porter was also marched.

But it didn’t end there, as referee Simon Hartas called full time after ongoing backchat and ill-discipline ruined the end of the match.

While disappointed to see how the game ended, Westside interim coach Col Fuller was proud to see his side produce it’s best performance of the season while in the opposite camp, Dennis Moran had little to say about the match.

“It’s a win. That’s what it is but we can’t really be satisfied with anything else,” he said, Parkes producing one of its more disjointed efforts of the year.

“We have to (forget this game). We can’t dwell on a game like this and sometimes you just need to move on from poor performances.”

Fuller put the late ill-discipline and ugly ending to the match down to the inexperience of his side, Merritt and Peachey are both younger players, and the frustration within the Rabbitohs camp having seen a possible breakthrough win slip away.

“I said if we could hang in until the final 15 minutes we could get them but the boys started dying off,” he said.

“We didn’t just take it on the chin when we needed to score to get back into it.”

Parkes started the better and looked to have opened the scoring after 12 minutes only for Moran ruled to have knocked on while planting down his own grubber.

The Spacemen only had to wait another three minutes before getting on the board, big Brendon Tago crashing over from close range, but the outstanding Tyrone Blanchette muscled over for Westside five minutes later to make it 6-all.

Jake Porter and Sam Dwyer scored quickfire tries to put Parkes up by 10 before Merritt darted over from dummyhalf to ensure Westside trailed by just four at the break.

A first win for 2017 looked a reality for Westside after tries from Blanchette and Peter Mackay put them men in red and green up 24-16.

But with the likes of Colt Tairua and Jon Newman off injured and others going down with cramp, Westside allowed Parkes, which began to find its mojo, back into the game.

Chad Porter crossed, then Jordan Pope grabbed a double, the first despite huge calls of a knock on from Westside, to put Parkes back in the lead and in command.

A tiring and more frustrated Westside then allowed Paige to score, a try which took the score out of the Rabbitohs’ reach.

It was an important, albeit ugly, win for the Spacemen and one which, coupled with Forbes’ loss to Nyngan, moves Moran’s men into outright third on the Group 11 ladder.

The late brawl was the major talking point post-match but Fuller preferred to praise Blanchette, who was a standout in the front row.

“Ty was great and I said that leading up to the game,” Fuller said.

“He played the full game and took it up all day so you can’t ask for more than that and he was the best player on the field, for mine.”

Westside is now all but certain to finish the season with the wooden spoon, especially after Narromine scored victory at Wellington on Sunday afternoon.

With three rounds remaining the Rabbitohs are still searching for a first win and Fuller said next weekend would be the perfect time to score it.

“The win is coming,” Fuller said.

“We’ve got three games to go and we’re looking forward to a big one next weekend against Macquarie at home at No. 1 and it’s a special occasion because it’s our indigenous round.

“That’s what we’ll focus on now. But I think the boys know they were in this game today.”

PARKES SPACEMEN 38 (Jordan Pope 2, Brendan Tago, Jake Porter, Sam Dwyer, Chad Porter, Brandon Paige tries; Moran 5 conversions) defeated DUBBO WESTSIDE 24 (Tyrone Blanchette 2, Steve Merritt, Peter Mackay tries; Brayden Peachey 3, Paul Kelly goals)