The Gerringong Lions have taken another step toward the Group 7 minor premiership after scraping out a 12-6 win over the Nowra Bomaderry Jets at Bomaderry Sporting Complex on Sunday afternoon.
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The Lions' win, along with Warilla-Lake South's loss to Jamberoo, mean the 2020 premiers sit four points clear in first position with five games to play in the regular season.
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The loss ends the Jets' late-season winning streak and likely puts paid to any hope of sneaking into the top five as they currently sit seven points outside the finals race.
While both sides have had no trouble scoring points in recent weeks, that was not the case on Sunday as they could only manage three tries between them in warm conditions.
Scores were locked at 6-all at half-time before the Lions managed to cross for the match winner with 15 minutes remaining in the second stanza.
It took close to 20 minutes for the scores to open and it was the home-side who crossed first. Veteran Jets' pivot Geoff Johnson put a deft grubber in to the in-goal and full-back Jake Gould swooped on the ball.
Winger Brayden Walsh converted and the Jets led 6-0.
Gould's try was compounded for the Lions by the loss of fullback Toby Gumley-Quine to injury, forcing the already depleted visitors into a backline reshuffle.
With just under half an hour played the Lions managed to hit back and level the scores, making the most of probing run by skipper Nathan Ford out of dummy half. Isaac Russell produced some sleight of hand from the ensuing play the ball and sent Jake Taylor over untouched.
Taylor knocked over the conversion and the scores were level at 6-6.
That score would stand until the 65 th minute when the Lions produced a try for the ages to secure the win.
Ford took off from dummy-half down the short-side on the last before finding Hamish Holland. The Lions' centre managed to flick the ball back inside despite the attention of number of defenders, before it travelled through four sets of hands and ended up with rookie Dylan Egan who powered his way over to the left of the posts.
Taylor stepped up and added the conversion for what would be a match-wining 12-6 lead.
The Lions will be hoping to welcome back a few big names this week as they prepare to face the Stingrays of Shellharbour who are coming off their best run as a club with three straight wins over Jamberoo, Warilla and Kiama.
For the Jets, they'll face another finals bound side in Jamberoo and look to potentially cause another upset and shake-up the top five.
Sam Baker
Sam Baker is Journalist with the South Coast Register on the South Coast of NSW. He also contributes work to The Batemans Bay Post, Milton Ulladulla Times, Southern Highlands News and Illawarra Mercury. Email: sam.baker@austcommunitymedia.com.au Phone: 0472 904 583
Sam Baker is Journalist with the South Coast Register on the South Coast of NSW. He also contributes work to The Batemans Bay Post, Milton Ulladulla Times, Southern Highlands News and Illawarra Mercury. Email: sam.baker@austcommunitymedia.com.au Phone: 0472 904 583
