PORT Macquarie only lost one game all weekend, but it turned out to be one of the ones that mattered.
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The Makos under-10 boys suffered a three-tries-to-nil defeat to Northern Beaches Renegades in the semi-finals of the NSW Junior State Cup.
Alongside the under-18 girls, they were the only two local teams who made the last four of the competition after the under-18 boys, under-16 boys, under-14 boys and the under-12 girls all lost at the quarter-final stage.
Coach David Lacey said the under-10s won six games in a row, but came up short with the final within reach.
"They came together four months ago and were struggling to learn how to play the game," he said.
"We took Northern Beaches right to the wire and those boys play all year so for us to make the top four teams in the region we couldn't be happier."
The top-four result came on the back of a successful Northern Eagles championship success in Forster a month ago.
"They're a little bit upset at the moment because a lot of the boys have success of a weekend with their footy teams and soccer teams," Lacey said.
"They're not used to getting beaten so it's good for them to experience that."
Lacey admitted the heavy, muddy fields didn't suit their attacking style.
"It's challenging for everyone this weekend; we've got a lot of speed so it slowed them down because we play an expansive game," he said.
"We scored 40-odd tries in the Northern Eagles in dry conditions, but Kerry from council has done a fantastic job with the fields all weekend."
The under-10s set themselves a goal of qualifying for the round of 16 and they achieved that.
"I thought if we made the top 16 in the state the boys would have exceeded expectations and we made the top four," the coach said.
"I couldn't be happier."
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