A PENALTY goal in the final four minutes by Berry-Shoalhaven Heads’ Josh Ingold has steered his side to a narrow 24-22 victory against the Stingrays of Shellharbour.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The match at Flinders Field started in perfect fashion for the visitors, when they scored on the very first set of six of the game.
Magpies winger Brent Marando pounced on an Ingold down field kick, which was let to bounce by the hosts, before touching down under the sticks.
Five-eighth Ingold converted for 6-nil.
The Stingrays, who were wearing specially designed NAIDOC week jerseys, hit back five minutes later, when centre Shane Feeney barged over from close range.
The boot of half Aaron Merrick then levelled the scores at 6-all.
This score was short lived, as Magpies’ dynamic hooker Blake Dryden scooted over from dummy-half in the 17th minute.
Ingold’s conversion restored the six point lead.
That lead was doubled soon after, in the 24th minute, when an Ingold cut-out pass put Rory McCall into space – before the backrower offloaded to centre Evan O’Shea to score untouched.
Ingold made it three from three with the boot for 18-6, which is how it remained until half-time.
After the resumption, it only took four minutes for the visitors to extend their advantage.
Joe Rogers snapped up a Stingrays kick on his own line before breaking away down field.
The lock then offloaded to Dryden, before the hooker found a flying Jack McPherson to score.
Ingold failed to convert, leaving it at 22- 6.
This margin was reduced in the 48th minute, when Stingrays’ Kyle Robbie gathered the ball, following a cross-field kick.
Merrick’s miss conversion left the score at 22-10.
Wayne Clarges’ men had their backs up when forward Anthony Nabbe powered his way across in the 60th minute.
Merrick’s conversion reduced the margin to just one converted try.
The lead was finally evaporated in the 70th minute, when Freddy Andale used his strength to get across the line, despite numerous Magpies defenders hanging off him.
Merrick’s conversion made it 22-all with 10 minutes on the clock.
But that was to be the end of the comeback, as Ingold’s penalty goal, with four minutes on the clock, secured the Magpies the win 24-22 – keeping the Stingrays winless in 2018.