Panthers' Toomey-White scores miracle match winner after final siren

However, May 5 2024 just happened to the Bathurst Panthers' lucky day at Carrington Park.

In their Peter McDonald Premiership clash Panthers were able to regain possession while down 20-18 when Dubbo CYMS knocked on the hosts' short drop out attempt.

Panthers still had plenty of work ahead of them when packing a scrum on their own 10m line with 27 seconds to spare.

Then something special happened.

Panthers moved the ball right to put Haydn Edwards into space, and the Panthers winger flew down the sideline, regathered his own grubber kick, before being tackled just metres short of the try line.

On the next play the hosts moved the ball to the opposite wing and into the hands of the waiting Tieryn Toomey-White, who dived across for a try and an unlikely 22-20 victory at the siren.

Panthers had come into the match with their regular halves pairing suspended and neither of the Cheshire brothers available to play but the team's huge defensive efforts - especially in the first half - put them into a position where they could still potentially claim victory in the dying stages.

It gives Panthers two wins from their first three games of the season while for the Fishies it leaves them in an almost unthinkable position of 0-2 to start their year.

Match winner Toomey-White said his try ranks highly as one of his most special moments with Panthers.

"It has to be right up there. To come away with the match-winner is unbelievable," he said.

"I'm pretty gassed. I played a full game of reserve grade and just backed up for the boys there.

"I just played off the back of Haydn Edwards there, who made that break, and the ball just happened to fall into my hands. I managed to make it over, thankfully."

Panthers had highlighted their poor starts against Lithgow Workies and St Pat's as an area to improve upon ahead of their game with CYMS, and they certainly fulfilled that goal.

Despite seeing very little of the ball in the first half Panthers were still able to go into half-time with the scores locked at 6-all.

Toomey-White said doing that was a huge boost to the team's confidence.

"We went into the sheds at half-time with a real positive energy. That was definitely our best first 40 minutes yet," he said.

"Against a quality side like Dubbo it was great to go into the sheds in the position that we were."

The Fishies peppered the Panthers' try line with constant attacks for the first 10 minutes of the match but it would instead be the home side who got on the scoreboard first.

Jed Betts crashed over between the uprights on the Panthers' first trip inside the visitors' 20m area but CYMS' quickly levelled things back up through a try to Jeremy Thurston.

CYMS continued to enjoy the much bigger share of field position and possession for the remaining 25 minutes of the opening half.

They couldn't convert that into any more points before the break.

A clever chip and regather from CYMS hooker Alex Bonham put teammate Corey Drew across for an early try in the second half.

However, quick follow up tries to Dylan Miles and Jake Betts took Panthers out to a 16-10 lead.

A crucial point in the match came when CYMS put a goal line drop out out of bounds on the full, allowing Josh Rivett to kick a penalty goal for an eight-point advantage.

Penalties and errors had crippled CYMS through the middle of the second half but they kept their composure long enough to regain the lead through Bonham and John Grey tries.

Panthers couldn't regather a short drop out attempt inside the final three minutes of the match, which appeared to cruel their chances of a last gasp fight back.

But their second short drop out attempt just moments later - and the play that followed - won't be forgotten any time soon.

BATHURST PANTHERS 22 (Jed Betts, Dylan Miles, Jake Betts, Tieryn Toomey-White tries; Josh Rivett 2 conversions; Rivett penalty goal) defeated DUBBO CYMS 20 (Jeremy Thurston, Corey Drew, Alex Bonham, John Grey tries; Thurston 2 conversions)