Group Three won 26-24, with Mills slotting the goal after livewire fullback Owen Blair scored a superb individual try to lock the scores up at 24-24. Mills’ goal kicking form had been indifferent earlier in the match, but he made no mistake with the one that counted. Group Three managed to hold on in the final two minutes to claim a bruising win in what had been an entertaining fixture.

“Lucky a bit of Owen Blair brilliance got us back into it,’’ Group Three coach Dean Hurrell said.

Mills handed on the goal kicking duties in the first half, however, Hurrell backed him to kick the last attempt.

“Millsie missed his first two kicks and then he gave it away, but I saw him kick at training and he’s a sharp shooter, and I had faith in him,’’ Hurrell said.

Big second rower Jake Mullen from Wingham opened the scoring for the match with an unconverted try before Group Two responded when Cody Berry crossed and Michael Hart added the extras.

However, Group Three raced clear via a second try to Mullen while Mills and Riley Glover – who was one of Group Three’s best in the first half – also scored. Mills converted Glover’s touchdown. But just when it appeared Group Three were going to be too strong, Group Two hit back with two tries, the second converted from the sideline by five-eighth Hart.

Group Two dominated the opening 20 minutes of the second half but their attack meandered from sideline to sideline. The combinations weren’t clicking. Hurrell was sending out messages with his trainers, instructing the backs to get deeper and imploring the players to have more composure.

“They had us for the latter part of the first half and the start of the second,’’ Hurrell admitted.

 Group Three finally broke the deadlock when Mills potted a penalty goal.

Group Two got some ball in a decent attacking positions and a sweeping raid resulted in centre Justin Hull crashing over out wide. When Hart landed his second conversion from the sideline to give the visitors a 24-20 lead it appeared Group Three’s challenge was over. However, Blair, who had been relatively subdued until that point, had other ideas. He joined the line, threw a dummy and split the defence to dive over out wide, leaving Mills with the chance to break the deadlock.

“I knew we had to get the ball to Owey (Blair) when Group Two scored. He didn’t see much footy but when he did he showed what he can do,’’ Hurrell said.

“I’m stoked with the boys. We were probably a bit flat in attack, but our halfback played when he probably shouldn’t have. I started with Riley Glover in the halves, then he played a bit of nine and 13 as well and I’m glad I had him in there, because it would have been tough without him.’’

Group Three 26 (J Mullen 2, D Mills, R Glover, O Blair tries, D Mills 3 goals) defeated Group Two 24 (C Berry, K Buchanan, D Dumas, J Hull tries, M Hart 3 goals).

The North Coast side for the May 5 clash against Central Coast at Macksville is (in alphabetical order): Luke Beaumont (Orara Valley), Owen Blair (Port City), Alex Bunt (Orara Valley), Dylan Collett (Grafton Ghosts), Josh Cockbain (Sawtell), Shannon Ellem (Old Bar), Dylan Hemsley (Wauchope), Michael Hart (Orara Valley), Latreel Hampton (Sawtell), Kobi Hugen (Wauchope), Riley Glover (Forster-Tuncurry), Dean Mills (Taree City), Jake Mullen (Wingham), Zac Johnson (Nambucca), Joe McKay (Macksville), Jarrod Roberts (Orara Valley), Mitch Smith (Port Macquarie), Mitch Wilbow (Port Macquarie). The side will train at Verge Street Oval at Kempsey on Tuesday April 24 at 6.30.

Dean Hurrell is the coach.