Hastings Valley Vikings defeat Port Macquarie Pirates at Stuart Park on July 10

The Vikings held onto a slender lead at the break before they clicked into gear in the final 20 minutes to all-but secure their spot in the 2021 Upper Mid North Coast Rugby Union semi-finals.

Vikings co-coach Adam McCormack said their first half performance was not up to scratch, but he was impressed with the team's ability to turn it around.

The forwards led the way.

"The pigs (forwards) all stood up and played really well in the second half, but by our own account we were pretty ordinary in the first half," he said.

"Full credit to Pirates because they played really well to the conditions and it was an attitude change from us in the second half that let us run away with it."

Forward David Tunstead and centre Matt Fieldsend along with Lyndon Gale were arguably the Vikings best.

"Tunny was pretty quiet in the first half because he's got a lot going on and I don't think his head was in the game, but in the second half he stood up and was one of our best," McCormack said.

"When we needed him to stand up, he did."

Hastings Valley are now on track to appear in yet another semi-final series with a bye next week followed by back-to-back games at Oxley Oval.

"We're out in front by at least one win, maybe two and as long as we win our home games we're well placed," the coach said.

One of those matches is the Dave McCormack Memorial Day.

"My dad's memorial game is always a big one for us so there's a lot to play for on Oxley Oval in those two weeks so hopefully we turn up with the right attitude," McCormack said.

Pirates coach Marc Minor lamented a lengthy casualty ward as a key reason for his team's fade in the second half.

"Lack of depth and injuries again is hurting us because we're not able to cover substantially the positions as people get injured and that's where we're at," he said.

"The rugby gods haven't been kind to us."

Such as the closeness of the competition, the defeat to the Vikings is unlikely to prove too costly in Port Macquarie's run to the finals.

"The only ones that can say 'we're going to be in finals' are the Vikings; all the other teams have to keep working," Minor said.

"The competition is so close that you lose the last two rounds and you're out. We're still there.

"We've had our hard times, but the last part of this round if we start to get guys back and start to put good performances together we can go into the semis strong."

Sam Begbie, Chris Geary and JJ Hennessey were standouts for Pirates.

"Sam is slowly coming into his own where he's taking control and that's pleasing and Chris Geary for an old fella showed why in his prime he was a brilliant footballer ... he still is," Minor said.

"JJ's got a good career in front of him, he's got to learn the hard craft of being a front rower.

"It's a tough, uncompromising position and you don't usually get to really start to excel until you're in your mid to late-20s."

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