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Steve Clark helps Eels secure lucky victory over Saints May 11, 2008
The St George Illawarra Dragons have today been defeated by a single point 19-18; by the Eels at ANZ Stadium. A Brett Finch field goal proved the difference with seven minutes to go and the Dragon scored a late try but couldn’t get over the line again. Coach Nathan Brown thought his side played well but just let themselves down at key stages. "It was a good game I thought and we won everything but the score today," Brown said. "We just didn’t respond to some things and at the end of the day it cost us." "The effort and the way we played today would've won us a few more games at the start of the year but today it just wasn't enough," he added. The Eels were the first team to register points in just the seventh minute through Eric Grothe. It was off the back of a penalty against Mark Gasnier for holding down the player in the play the ball. From the set of six the Eels ran a play through Brett Finch who got the ball away to Luke Burt who then sent the ball on to Grothe to score in the south western corner. Burt converted from out wide and the Eels had an early 6-nil lead. Both sides were playing an expansive game with the Dragons having three sets of six in good attacking position back to back but couldn’t convert it into points. A Ben Hornby bust started the raid but it ended with Kiwi international Jason Nightingale getting an offload away that ended in the hands of Grothe. The match took a turn when a Nightingale try was called back and the Eels were awarded a penalty. A tackle by Matt Cooper and Kirk Reynoldson forced a mistake from Grothe but video referee Steven Clarke ruled that Cooper had stripped the ball which had a lot of Dragons fans in shock of the decision. The luck wasn’t with the Dragons with the Eels running 90m to score in the following set. A double pump by Brett Finch sent Nathan Hindmarsh through the gap and he found Burt on the inside who ran round to score under the posts. Burt converted to extend the lead out to 12-nil. Just two minutes before half-time Gasnier showed some brilliance to send Hurstville United junior Chase Stanley over in the north-eastern corner. From virtually a standing start Gansier stepped outside Jarryd Hayne and he drew in the winger Joel Reddy before flicking the ball on to Stanley who scored. Soward struck the ball brilliantly and converted from out wide to close the gap to 12-6 at half-time.
The second half started with the Dragons making a number of line breaks and their best opportunity ended with Stuart Webb being dragged into touch. Soward must a bust with a great step off his right foot and went the wrong way and got the ball away to Webb but Joel Reddy showed great strength and pushed him out. Again the Eels pushed up on the Dragons turned it into points at the other end of the field. It was on the last tackle and with plenty of bodies in motion Finch got the ball to Feleti Mateo who then gave it off to Hayne who slid over in the north-western corner. Burt again converted from the sideline and the score was now 18-6 after 53 minutes. Soward was playing a part in every Dragons attacking set and it payed off in the 60th minute with Nightingale scoring out wide. Webb got the ball to Soward and he fired a ball out to the left where Cooper hit it at pace and as he drew in Grothe he got the ball to Nightingale who ran in to score. Soward again slotted it over from the sideline to close the gap to 18-12. With seven minutes remaining the Eels wrapped up proceedings when Finch put a field goal over to extend the lead to seven points. It was off the back of a 40/20 by Eels hooker Matt Keating. On the fourth tackle Finch yelled for the ball and he converted the attempt from directly in front and 15m out. The Dragons were fighting till the death and Cooper grabbed a try in the 79th minute but it was too little too late. A charge down by Beau Scott was pounced on by Cooper who ran 30m untouched to score. Soward quickly converted but it was just simply too late and the Eels held on to win 19-18. EELS 19 (Grothe, Burt, Hayne Tries; Burt 3 Goals; Finch 1 Field Goal) DRAGONS 18 (Stanley, Nightingale, Cooper Tries; Soward 3 Goals) Referee: Sean Hampstead <--- AKA MR. BEAN THE GRUB
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