A remarkable 10 minute patch from the 60^th minute saw four goals piled on, but it was the Cobras who had the upper hand, eventually running out 3-1 winners.

Cobras coach Meaghan Kempson was pleased with the application of her charges, and there were no passengers in the win.

"I said to the boys that if you can win your one-on-one battle with your opponent and play your role, we will win the game - and that is exactly what happened, everyone played their role," she said.

The first half was a bruising affair, with both sides pushing the envelope physically.

The Wolves began to get the upper-hand the longer the half progressed, banging in some dangerous crosses and set pieces and generating a number of overlaps.

The frustration of missing chances began to show on the faces of the Wolves however, and after a good old fashioned bake from Kempson the Cobras came out fired up in the second half.

It was debutant Mitch Hutchings who struck first, finishing off a beautiful one-two in the 61^st minute on the back of 15 minutes of Parkes dominance, and Kempson was stoked to have him on the park after he drove home a second placing in the trots across the road at the start of the game.

"Mitch's presence up front was a game changer, the things he can do with the ball at his feet is incredible and even when he went down back towards the end of the game to help keep our lead, he just did things we couldn't last year."

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Mudgee-Gulgong tied the scores just four minutes later against the run of play on the back of a free kick but two goals in two minutes to Marty Doherty and Brent Tucker ensured the Cobras weren't going to let the game slip.

After a 2020 season beset by missed chances and concentration lapses, Kempson was understandably pleased with the way her side stuck at it.

"I was so delighted to see that we were taking our chances in front of goal, that was something we didn't do last year, which cost us often.

"Even Jimmy's (Kuntze) chance in front of goal in the first half, which he missed, I was pleased with the way he went about it.

"He didn't try and put his foot through it and burn a hole in the back of the net - it showed we have made some real improvements already," said Kempson.

She was also full of praise for the much-hyped Irish recruit, who played with a real fire in the belly and a deft first touch.

"Marty has been a massive asset to our team, his knowledge and aggression is just huge for the boys.

"He just wants the ball and it doesn't matter if he has to run through 10 brick walls to get it."

Doherty played more like a British bulldog than an Irish potato farmer, earning a yellow card for the pleasure, but with him in the centre of the park and Hutchings up front the Cobras could have the most important signings of the entire competition.

They've given Parkes an extra layer of class, and most importantly given the side added depth which means Kempson is able to use some bench warmers as dangerous impact players, like fellow debutant Charlie Denham Jones.

"The one thing we have got this season that we didn't have last year is depth, and some real strike power.

"Charlie is only 16 and his enthusiasm is just so infectious, he brings a real energy to the team and it gets the boys, and the crowd, going," Kempson said.

The composure and tenacity the Cobras played with in the second half is sure to make opponents sit up and take notice.

This weekend the Cobras travel to Lithgow to take on Workmans on Saturday afternoon.

Parkes Cobras 3 (Hutchings 61', Doherty 68', Tucker 70' goals) defeated Mudgee Gulgong Wolves 1 (Stewart 65' goal)

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