A gutsy Manly Warringah Sea Eagles recorded a thrilling 13-12 victory over South Sydney Rabbitohs in golden point at Lottoland today in round four of the Telstra Premiership.
Half-back and captain Daly Cherry-Evans kicked the winning field goal from 37 metres out inside the final minute of the first half of extra-time.
In a match played in warm conditions in front of a crowd of 12,304, the Sea Eagles were hit with a number of injuries with the main one being a suspected hamstring to full-back Tom Trbojevic.
Souths went into the match undefeated after three rounds while Manly was full of confidence following their first win of the season in Christchurch last Saturday.
Manly started strongly and applied plenty of pressure on the Souths line with a series of attacking raids but couldn’t get across the line in the first 10 minutes.
The Sea Eagles finally got on the board when Tom Trbojevic (pictured below) made a strong run to crash over out wide. Half-back and captain Daly Cherry-Evans converted for a 6-0 lead after 14 minutes.
South Sydney drew level at 6-all when half-back Adam Reynolds converted a try to second-rower Sam Burgess in the 25th minute after Manly was forced to sustain some enormous pressure on their own line which eventually told.
Reynolds missed a penalty goal in the 31st minute from near the posts after Manly was ruled offside from a broken play.
Souths went to a 10-6 lead in the 36th minute when Campbell Graham beat three defenders to score in the right corner off a Codey Walker run. Reynolds failed to convert for a 10-6 scoreline which remained that way to half-time.
Sea Eagles hooker Api Koroisau (wrist, pictured below) and Corey Waddell (concussion) left the field late in the first half.
The Sea Eagles were dealt a huge blow in the first minute of the second half when Tom Trbojevic left the field with the hamstring injury – just a week after returning from the same injury.
A few minutes later, Manly prop Martin Taupau left the field with a shoulder concern but he later returned.
The Sea Eagles drew level at 10-all when hooker Manase Fainu swooped on a drop ball from Souths to stroll over from 10 metres out. Cherry-Evans converted for a 12-10 lead after 53 minutes.
Reynolds then missed a simple penalty goal from next to the posts in the 61st minute.
The Rabbitohs drew level at 12-all when Reynolds converted a penalty goal from the sideline in the 72nd minute.
A drop ball by Taupau in trying to play the ball gave Souths a scrum feed just on their side of halfway in the final minute.
Reynolds then attempted a field goal but his shot hit the upright and into the arms of Taupau as Manly received a penalty as the siren sounded.
Cherry-Evans then had a long range field goal attempt to no avail to send the match into golden point.
Reynolds then missed the first field goal attempt from 35 metres out four minutes into golden point.
Cherry-Evans then nailed a 35 metre field goal in the final minute of the first half of extra-time to snatch victory.
