"We nearly pulled it off but I thought Dan Hawkins and their three big players were just enough to see it out.
"I thought their centre had a really good game [also] and their No7 Connor Woodman."
With good playing conditions underfoot at Maungakaramea Reserve, both teams put on some awe-inspiring phases of play.
Though Mid Western had some excellent touches of the ball, one attacking play from Otamatea was all class and even received applause from Mid Western's strong stand of startled supporters.
Positioned with the ball inside Mid Western's 22-metre line, time almost stood still as Otamatea's Hawkins received the pill from a ruck.
With all of the time in the world, the Taniwha first five opted for a well executed cross-field kick. On the other end of the kick - which was gauged with sheer precision - Otamatea's winger "Tui" blitzed toward the line, leapt into a gracious dive and managed to catch the ball seconds before dotting down over the tryline to secure a tidy five points for his team.
Despite a strong comeback from Mid Western in the second half - which kept the visiting side scoreless - Otamatea coach Dean Kenny was rapt with the tightly contested win.
"I'll take it," Kenny said post-match.
"[I'll] definitely take that. They're a well drilled team, we knew it was going to be a tight one and their forwards really took it to us.
"Once again it was just those silly offloads that, in the second half, allowed Mid Western to get control of the pill.
"If the passes had stuck, it would have been a much different outcome but, having said that, I'm proud of the boys and how they closed the game down at the end there."
