That’s the prognosis of Magpies captain-coach Zac Merritt after Forbes were beaten by top-of-the-table Dubbo CYMS 36-26 at Spooner Oval last Sunday.

The Magpies enjoyed a four point lead mid-way through the second half of the round 12 match, but three unanswered tries gave the visitors a match-winning lead which they didn’t surrender. 

Merritt was far from disconsolate with the loss, but said Forbes need to eliminate small errors if they are to beat the competition’s best.

“We turned up to play on the weekend but unfortunately we didn’t come away with the win,” he said of the club’s fourth loss for 2015.

“It was just a few little one-percenters that let us down. We’ve come close a couple of times but we just haven’t been able to knock off one of the really good sides,” Merritt said.

While the Magpies didn’t have front rowers Ben Robinson or Brad McMillan on Sunday, Merritt said there were no excuses for the loss.

“The game was there to be won but we didn’t take those opportunities that were there for us. There are no excuses for the Magpies this year. The game was there to be won and we didn’t do that.”

However Merritt said it was heartening to know the Magpies hadn’t suffered a big loss to CYMS or second-placed Parkes.

“We’ve only been beaten by CYMS and Parkes by six or eight points, and it definitely does give you a bit of confidence, knowing that we are in the mix against those top teams,” he said.

“It’s just a matter of building that confidence. As soon as we can get that confidence that we had in those first few weeks of the season and we start winning again we’ll be on the right track at the right end of the season.”

Meanwhile Dubbo CYMS coach Tim Ryan praised the versatility of his playing group after they overcame a second-half deficit.

Ryan’s men trailed 22-18 in the middle stages of the second half but piled on three unanswered tries, before Forbes crossed for the final points in the dying seconds of the contest.

Marshall Sing bagged two tries for the Fishies, who moved to the top of the Group 11 ladder after Parkes were stunned by Westside at No.1 Oval.

“It was a good win because we had to overcome some adversity again and we did it,” Ryan said. “It’s never easy to go down to Forbes and we were behind there in the second half but we managed to dig our way out again.

“We were a bit light on our bench so some of our forwards had to play big minutes and did that, and Tony Pellow got our players’ player award and Scott Burgess got two points. Every week we have different guys getting votes and that helps.”

Forbes will host Nyngan at Spooner Oval this Sunday. 

DUBBO CYMS 36 (Marshall Sing 2, Kieran Shipp, Jyie Chapman, Scott Burgess, Colby Pellow tries; Luke Jenkins 6 goals) def FORBES MAGPIES 26 (Carl Johnston 2, Rusiate Lawanikula, Hayden Bolam, Zac Merritt tries; Bolam 3 goals)