The Western Suburbs Magpies continue to hold down top spot on the Intrust Super Premiership ladder after withstanding a blistering start from the Newcastle Knights to record a come-from-behind 24-20 win at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
Having trailed by fourteen points after just thirteen minutes, the Magpies, led by halves Tyson Gamble and Josh Drinkwater, were able to grind out a tough victory over a side still searching for its second win of the season and remain marooned in last spot despite today's gallant effort.
It was evident early on that the Knights wanted to utilise half Brock Lamb's kicking game and he didn't disappoint with Newcastle posting first points at the end of their first set of the match, when winger
Thomas Cronan out-jumped his opposite, Mahe Fonua to regather and put his centre partner, Pat Mata'utia over in the right corner to score.
The Knights soon after extended their lead to ten, when Lamb's kick behind Fonua, allowed Mata'utia to turn provider for Cronan, producing a neat flick pass for his winger to dive over out wide and extend the lead to 10.
The home crowd were further stunned just three minutes later when opposite winger Tom Hughes was sent on a 25-metre run down the eastern touchline, pushing the lead out to 14 in better than even time.
But the Magpies finally settled and opened their account midway through the first half after Gamble's grubber behind the defensive line, enabled back-rower Sam McIntyre to ground the loose ball and with Drinkwater's conversion, the home side trailed by eight.
That gap was reduced to two after the Knights gifted an error to their opponents close to their own try line, enabling the home side to score through Joseph Ratuvakacereivalu after interchange player Bayley Sironen, strolled through the heart of the Newcastle defensive line before finding his fellow interchange forward to score underneath the posts.
Lamb had an opportunity to double his side's slender lead after the halftime siren but his missed attempt ensured the Knights would only lead 14-12 at the main break.
The start to the second half was a carbon-copy of the first, except this time it would be the Magpies who would score off their first set of the half when Drinkwater's kick back inside, found the goalposts and eluded Lamb, which instead allowed Gamble to regather and score, putting Western Suburbs in front for the first time in the game, 18-14.
A pivotal moment for the game looked to have arrived in the 52nd minute when referee Ryan Jackson banished Knights interchange forward Pasami Saulo to the sin-bin for ten minutes.
But despite being down a man, the Knights controlled possession beautifully deep inside Magpies territory and were rewarded with the hit-back try, when back-rower Sam Stone stormed onto a short pass to score from short range to Newcastle back in front 20-18, midway through the half.
That joy was short lived with Drinkwater again turning provider for the Magpies, albeit this time with the hands, throwing a looping long cut-out pass that enabled Fonua to stroll over in the left corner and with the half's near side-line conversion, Western Suburbs again led by 4 with ten to go.
With the clock ticking down, a 40-20 kick from Brock Lamb gave the Knights one last shot to snatch the win.
But it all came unstuck with prop Tyrone Amey dropping a simple pass, with his side attacking the Magpies try-line, which enabled the home side to breathe a sigh of relief and win a tight contest, 24-20.
Next up for the Magpies is a local derby of sorts when they come up against the Wentworthville Magpies next Sunday afternoon at Ringrose Park, while two days earlier, the Knights will take on the North Sydney Bears under lights at North Sydney Oval.
