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KEY POINTS:
Western Force 16
Cheetahs 10
PERTH - Western Force atoned for their season-opening loss to the Blues with a hard-fought 16-10 Super 14 triumph over the Cheetahs at Subiaco Oval on Friday night.
In a tough, scrappy encounter, the Force opened a 16-7 lead midway through the second half but endured several nervy moments in the final 10 minutes as the Cheetahs pushed hard for the winning try after closing to within six points.
But unlike last week, when the Force gave up three second-half tries in their 25-19 loss to the Blues, the Force held their concentration to close out the win.
Inside centre James O'Connor registered the Force's only try of the match, while Giteau contributed 11 points off his own boot in front of 16,500 fans.
The next three weeks shape as a crucial period for the Force's finals aspirations, with away games against the Brumbies, Chiefs and Crusaders.
Giteau opened the scoring with a penalty in the ninth minute but the Cheetahs, pinned in their own half for the first 10 minutes, almost registered a try in their first foray forward when hooker Adriaan Strauss barged through four players.
The video referee deemed Strauss had fallen just short of the line and the Force received another slice of luck in the 12th minute when hooker Tai McIsaac's left boot inadvertently knocked the ball out of Bees Roux's hand as the Cheetahs prop went to slam the ball down for a try.
An incorrect offside call against the Force by referee James Leckie denied Giteau a certain try in the 17th minute but 18-year-old O'Connor notched the first try of the match when he sliced through Strauss and Nico Breedt in the 32nd minute, giving the home side a 10-0 lead.
Cheetahs winger Danwel Demas endured a disastrous opening half hour as he committed a glut of errors.
But the 27-year-old made amends four minutes before half-time when he soccered a loose ball over Force fullback Drew Mitchell, scooped up the crumbs and crossed to reduce the deficit to 10-7.
Giteau kicked his second penalty of the match on the half-time siren following another Cheetahs indiscretion at the breakdown and prop Wiaan du Preez was seeing yellow four minutes after the break for failing to roll away.
The Force were only able to add three points during the numerical advantage - a drop goal to Giteau - as they opened a handy 16-7 break but it gave the Force the breathing space they needed, with some desperate defence in the final 10 minutes helping secure the win.
- AAP
