The Coonabarabran Unicorns put the disappointment of losing the major semi final on their home turf the previous week behind them last Saturday when they saw off a determined challenge from the Trangie Magpies in the first grade preliminary final of the Christie and Hood Castlereagh League completion.
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The 32 to 18 victory capped off a mixed day for the Unicorns who had three sides playing on the day the first being their Youth League team who were up against the Coonamble Bears playing for the right to meet the Cobar Roosters in this Saturday's grand finals that will be played in Gilgandra.
The Bears initially appeared as if they were going to run riot with the Coonabarabran defenders constantly falling off tackles and the red and blacks quickly ran in a couple of tries.
However the Unicorns fought back to actually take a 16 to 12 lead to the sheds at half time.
The resumption of play saw the two teams evenly matched before a sin binning of a Unicorn player turned the match in favour of the Bears who notched two converted tries in that ten minute period to see the scoreboard reading 32 to 20 in their favour and with another late try they took the game 38 to 20.
Whilst the Unicorns lost the Youth League they won the League Tag when they downed the Gilgandra Pink Panthers 20 to 12 with their speedy winger Belle Smith scoring a double down the right flank.
The Unicorns led 16 points to nil at half time and seemingly had the game in the bag at that point. The Panthers did mount a comeback in the second half, scoring two tries to one in that period but the damage had been done in the opening stanza and the Unicorns now will play their near neighbours, the Baradine Magpies in the grand final.
The first grade game saw the Trangie Magpies dominate the first half in terms of field position, but they were behind 12 to 6 at half time after bombing a number of scoring opportunities when they had the Coonabarabran defence stretched.
A converted Coonabarabran try two minutes into the second half, followed up by another just four minutes later saw the scoreboard read 24 to 6 in favour of the home side, that period proving to be telling in the final wash up, and whilst the Magpies showed their trade mark determination, they could not reel in the Unicorns substantial lead, with the final score being 32 to 18.
The Unicorns will now play the Gilgandra Panthers in this Saturday's grand final with statistics from the 18 competition rounds suggesting that there is not much between the two sides.
The Unicorns scored 680 points whilst allowing in 221 for a positive differential of 459.
The Panthers notched up 760 points for, and had 324 scored against them, giving them a point's differential of plus 436.
Coonabarabran claimed victory in the two competition rounds, but only just winning 26 to 22 at Coonabarabran followed by a 28 to 22 victory in Gilgandra.
However the tables were turned just two Saturdays ago when the sides clashed in the major semi final in Coonabarabran, with the Panthers handing in an unrelenting defensive effort, that saw them come away with a 28 to 12 win and another home grand final.
This should be a classic confrontation between the two time honoured arch rivals and a huge crowd is expected to pack into Gilgandra's McGrane Oval to witness the action
The Youth League game will kick off proceedings at 11.30am with the Cobar Roosters aiming for their first Castlereagh League premiership after joining the competition last year.
The League Tag will follow and a close encounter is anticipated when the Baradine Magpies attempt to claim back to back premierships when they take on the Coonabarabran Unicorns.
The first grade game should kick off around 2.00pm.