Source :- THE AGE NEWS
A second win of the season has quite literally slipped through St George Illawarra’s fingers in a heartbreaking 22-20 loss to Newcastle at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The last-placed Dragons scored four tries to the Knights’ three on Friday night, with two Newcastle penalty goals and Valentine Holmes’ wayward boot separating the sides.
Saints had one last chance to snatch a famous victory when five-eighth Daniel Atkinson lofted a bomb into the red zone in the final minute of play.
Excellent to that point, halves partner Kyle Flanagan chased through, but the ball slipped from his grasp as he tried to regather it and score the match-winner.
The Knights held on for the most unconvincing of wins and moved temporarily into the top four.
Holmes will rue having missed a very straightforward conversion attempt with 20 minutes to play that could have eventually sent the game to extra time.
The former State of Origin representative grimaced after pushing the regulation attempt just to the left of the woodwork.
But the result nevertheless reiterates the Dragons’ improvements under interim coach Dean Young.
Only six weeks ago, Newcastle raced out to a 32-0 half-time lead and inflicted a 44-10 defeat on the Dragons in Young’s second game at the helm.
Early signs were that history would repeat itself after the Dragons were forced to reshuffle their backline with Moses Suli (back) injured in the warm-up.
Replacing the rested Kalyn Ponga, fullback Fletcher Sharpe feasted on the makeshift edges, crossing twice in the opening 10 minutes.
But unlike in the sides’ last meeting, the Dragons would not roll over, and are clearly attacking with far greater confidence than earlier in the year.
So often criticised for their lack of firepower in the halves, all four of the Dragons’ tries came directly after kicks from either Atkinson or Flanagan.
The first three of those were from kicks early in the tackle count, with the Dragons also unafraid to throw the ball around in second-phase play.
Second-rower Luciano Leilua gave Saints a lift coming on and helped put Clint Gutherson into a space ahead of Setu Tu’s try.
The Dragons’ defensive resolve has also found new levels.
Notably, hooker Damien Cook pulled his opposite man Phoenix Crossland down centimetres short of the tryline in the final minute before half-time.
Ultimately, the Knights’ fast start was enough, with Sandon Smith’s 54th-minute try their only four-pointer after the 10-minute mark.
AAP
A second win of the season has quite literally slipped through St George Illawarra’s fingers in a heartbreaking 22-20 loss to Newcastle at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The last-placed Dragons scored four tries to the Knights’ three on Friday night, with two Newcastle penalty goals and Valentine Holmes’ wayward boot separating the sides.
Saints had one last chance to snatch a famous victory when five-eighth Daniel Atkinson lofted a bomb into the red zone in the final minute of play.
Excellent to that point, halves partner Kyle Flanagan chased through, but the ball slipped from his grasp as he tried to regather it and score the match-winner.
In the final minute, the Dragons get their chance.
Daniel Atkinson puts up a bomb into no-man’s land around the Knights’ 20-metre line, the ball is allowed to bounce, and it heads straight towards the tryline. Kyle Flanagan chases and is the closest to it, and dives for the ball as it bounces over the tryline. He gets a hand to the ball – but can’t ground it cleanly. It’s a knock on.
Great effort, but the Dragons fall just short.
The Knights play out a few very slow tackles coming out of the their own end as the final buzzer sounds
Full-time: Knights 22 beat Dragons 20
The Knights go on the attack via another Dom Young line break to the right, after Dylan Brown is dragged down on the fifth tackle Sandon Smith takes a poor option on the last with a grubber that’s easily defused by Valentine Holmes.
But Newcastle get another chance on their next set, when Smith is pushed by Hamish Stewart while putting up a clearing kick and the Knights receive a penalty. Though there’s another twist when Clint Gutherson strips the ball legally after a three-man tackle becomes a one-man tackle and the Dragons come out of their own end.
Can either side grab a match-winning try here?
Knights 22, Dragons 20 with one minute left
Wow the Dragons have scored another beauty, Daniel Atkinson bombing for the corner, Setu Tu rising and batting back a scrappy pass for Dylan Egan, who barrels over out wide. Great try, and they can steal a boilover win here.
But first, the conversion attempt. Val Holmes is really ruing missing that easy one now, and needs to slot this from the sideline to square things up.
He hits it well, it starts just wide to the right, drifts to the left – and hits the post. No goal. That stings for the visitors, but they have the momentum going into the final few minutes.
Knights 22, Dragons 20 with eight minutes left
Quality stuff from the Dragons again, Luciano Leilua breaking the Knights’ defence open with an offload to Clint Gutherson, who links up with Tyrell Sloan. On the next play Daniel Atkinson puts a nice chip over the top, and Fletcher Sharpe can only parry the ball into the path of Setu Tu who runs around to score beside the posts.
But shockingly Valentine Holmes misses a pretty straightforward conversion attempt, and there’s still six points between the sides.
Knights 22, Dragons 16 with 18 minutes left
The Knights have scored again, via the old double kick. Sandon Smith starts it off with a bomb for Brandon Best, who has been a bit of a target for Newcastle in the air tonight, and the centre juggles it backwards and it’s play on. Dylan Brown grabs the loose ball, and rolls a grubber kick into the in-goal.
Dragons winger Setu Tu is the closest to it but Smith runs around him and wins the race as the pair dive for the ball – then follows up his try with a tricky conversion from out wide.
Knights 22, Dragons 12 with 24 minutes left
