Co-leaders going into the final-round regular game of the Midwest Rugby League Community Cup, neither Blackheath nor Kandos needed the winner's two competition points as both clubs had already qualified for the premiership final the following week.
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The complete round 3, including the Portland-Carcoar match plus leaguetag games, was played at Kandos Waratah Park in Saturday's uncomfortable weather conditions.
Blackheath were favourites to win the game but Kandos took the early lead when Tom Fraser crashed across for first points in the third minute, Tommy Large converting, for a six-point lead.
Two minutes afterwards Travis Duke went across for Blackheath's first points which was unconverted, and Kandos kept their slender 6-4 advantage.
The Black Cats scored next to take the lead 10-6 before Fraser again scored a second converted try for Kandos to re-take the lead.
Blackheath's Shannon Rhodes' try for a16-12 scoreline took his side to the front before Ethan Parsons' try, also converted, put the home side ahead again 18-16.
Both sides went try for try for 26-all, but into the final minutes Blackheath, with one more converted try, prevailed to take the day's points and an academic result 32-26.
Despite the dead-rubber situation and high temperatures, the Kandos-Blackheath contest was high in intensity and entertaining, with both sides containing many first graders and exciting young prospects.
In the other game, no less absorbing, Carcoar showed how dangerous they could have been had they reached the final with a dominating 36-nil win over Portland, the Crows beaten by only two points by Kandos the previous week.
In leaguetag Portland's 16-all draw with Carcoar began proceedings for the day before Kandos showed home-game form and finesse to defeat Blackheath 28-16.
Carcoar, ironically the home of Midwest football as the club with most Midwest premierships to its name, is the venue for this week's premiership finals between Kandos and Blackheath in both the men's and league tag teams, the second time Kandos league tag has contested a final but the fourth time in 53 years as rivals in the men's game the Waratahs and Blackheath have met in a grand final.
Grand final clashes between the two clubs began in 1970 when Kandos defeated Blackheath 10-3 in the final of the Lithgow Business Houses, afterwards both clubs joining the Midwest competition and meeting only twice for a title in the following 50 years despite both clubs winning many premierships between them.
The league tag game between Carcoar and Portland begins the day's events on Saturday at noon, then the men's Carcoar-Portland game, followed by both finals involving Kandos and Blackheath.
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