NO excuses.

The Blayney Bears won’t be pointing the finger at anyone despite a tough 28-20 loss to the inform Mudgee Dragons at King George Oval on Sunday.

Trailing for the entire contest before rallying to within just two points of the Dragons nearing the death of the clash between the two Group 10 heavyweights, the Bears turned over possession late after posting points to edge within 22-20, gifting Mudgee a final chance to score.

They did, of course, and sealed the eight-point win in style.

“It was a pretty patchy game. In my opinion we probably only played well for about 40 minutes,” prop Terawhiti Cooper said, his side depleted by injury.

“But we’re not finding excuses. It’s easy to say we had five or six guys out, but that’s not the point. If you’re playing first grade, you’re a first grade player and we had a couple of 18s guys come up and do really well today. “There’s no excuses.”

Much like the defending premiers Bathurst St Pat’s, Mudgee is finding form at the right end of the season and shot out to an early 10-0 lead.

They never relinquished, despite the Bears’ late raid in Blayney.

“They’re a strong side, especially up front, and we knew we had to be strong in the middle to match them,” Cooper said.

“They didn’t score too many up the guts, which is pleasing for us.”

The eight-point loss means Blayney is now one of three sides on 18 competition points - alongside Lithgow and the Dragons - as the race for a top three spot intensifies.

The loss capped a mixed day for the Bears, with the Blayney league tag side upsetting the Dragons 12-10, while under 18s lost 52-0 to the visiting Dragons.

Mudgee forfeited reserve grade.