Talkin Sport - ONE POINT WONDERS GET EELS HOME IN GOLDEN POINT THRILLER

An extra time field goal to Luke Burt field has handed the Pirtek Parramatta Eels a 24-23 golden point victory over the Newcastle Knights in round three of the Telstra Premiership at Parramatta Stadium.

Burt’s strike only came about after skipper Nathan Cayless kept the Eels in the game with a field goal of his own to even it up three minutes from full time.

The dual strikes came at the end of a pulsating match during which both teams had genuine shots at victory.

After a shaky start that saw the Knights cross the stripe only to be called back for a forward pass it was the Eels that would be first on the scoreboard, Jarryd Hayne finding the tryline for the first time in season 2008 six minutes in.

With the Eels attacking the Knights line a Brett Finch kick took a freakish bounce off the legs of a defender before rocketing into the waiting arms of Hayne, who beat the last line of defence with a mean left foot step to score under the posts.

6-nil would soon become 10 with Hayne scoring his second just three minutes later, steaming onto a short ball from Finch to score out wide.

The joy of a boisterous crowd of 15,176 would be silenced on 12 minutes with the Knights crossing for their first, centre Keith Lulia getting on the end of a long cut out ball to score in the corner. .

Kurt Gidley’s sideline conversion was on song to reduce the Eels lead to four points.

The next scoring play would not come until the half hour and again it would come through the Knights attacking down the Eels right hand side, wing Cooper Vuna touching down just inside the dead ball line to give his side a 12-10 lead.

The home side would only trail for five minutes, with Eric Grothe carrying Gidley over the line to slam it down in the corner for a 14-12 buffer.

Two minutes later the Eels were in again off a fast break from Feleti Mateo, who turned it inside for Finch to score under the posts.

Burt’s conversion put the Eels into the break ahead 20 points to 12.

The Knights opened the scoring for the second half an uneventful 17 minutes after the resumption, centre Wes Naiqama grabbing the crumbs of a spilt kick for the corner to touch down for the easiest of tries.

Again Gidley was deadly accurate with the boot, the Eels lead whittled back down to two at 20 points to 18.

Five minutes later the Knights went in again with Lulia scoring his second, however the try went unconverted, leaving the Knights clinging to a two point lead.

Burt removed the gap with a penalty goal from in front 12 minutes from time, while Jarrod Mullen edged the Knights back into the lead with a field goal that bounced off the post before going over in the 74th minute of play.

To the delight of the crowd the match was sent into golden point extra time when Cayless slotted a field goal of his own three minutes later.

The Eels earned back to back sets after the kick off and after three and a half minutes Burt stepped up to slot the winning field goal, making no mistake from 20 metres out.

The win is the Eels second for the season and provides them with a good platform ahead of next week’s trip to Townsville to play the Cowboys.

TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP

PIRTEK PARRAMATTA EELS 24
Tries: Jarryd Hayne 2, Eric Grothe, Brett Finch
Goals: Luke Burt 3/5
Field Goals: Nathan Cayless 1, Luke Burt 1

NEWCASTLE 23
Tries: Keith Lulia 2, Cooper Vuna, Wes Naiqama
Goals: Kurt Gidley 3/4
Field Goals: Jarrod Mullen 1

At Parramatta Stadium
Crowd: 15,176
Referee: Tony Archer

EELS V KNIGHTS – AS IT HAPPENED

6th Minute: The Eels score the first try of the night, Jarryd Hayne touching down off a Brett Finch kick. Luke Burt converts. Eels 6-nil.
9th Minute: Hayne goes in for his second off a bullet like Finch pass. Burt’s kick is wide. Eels 10-nil.
12th Minute: The Knights go across through centre Keith Lulia. Kurt Gidley converts. Eels 10-6.
30th Minute: Cooper Vuna scores for the Knights. Gidley converts. Knights 12-10.
34th Minute: Eric Grothe gets on the end of some great led up work from Luke Burt and Joel Reddy to touch down in the corner. Burt’s conversion attempt is wide. Eels 14-12.
37th Minute: Brett Finch scores under the posts after a great break from Feleti Mateo. Burt converts. Eels 20-12.

Half Time: Eels 20 – Newcastle 12

57th Minute: Wes Naiqama scores off a kick for the Knights. Gidley converts. Eels 20-18.
62nd Minute: Lulia scores his second try of the night to put Newcastle back in front. Gidley’s conversion attempt misses. Knights 22-20.
68th Minute: Burt levels it up with a penalty goal from in front. Scores locked at 22-all.
74th Minute: Jarrod Mullen nails a field goal for the Knights. Knights 23-22.
77th Minute: Nathan Cayless replies with a field goal from in front. Scores locked 23-23.

End of Regular Time: Eels 23 – Newcastle 23.

84th Minute: Burt calmly slots a field goal from 24 metres to give the Eels the win

In golden point extra time. Eels 24-23.

Full Time: Eels 24 – Newcastle 23.

EELS MAKE IT THREE FROM THREE IN TOYOTA CUP

The Pirtek Parramatta Eels have kept their undefeated Toyota Cup record alive, defeating the Newcastle Knights 18 points to 10 at Parramatta Stadium.

For the third time in succession the Eels fought back from an early deficit to record what turned out a comfortable victory, the Knights joining the Bulldogs and Warriors as scalps for 2008.

The Knights started strongly and hit the lead through an unconverted try to second rower Jason Schirnack after 15 minutes, however the Eels hit back ten minutes later through one of their own to Daniel Mortimer.

Mortimer’s try was converted by Tony Williams and the Eels had the lead at 6 points to 4.

Their joy would be short lived however with replacement Byron Fruean scoring to put the Knights out to a 10-6 half time lead.

The first half finished with the Eels on the attack and the second started in exactly the same fashion, a try to centre Taputoa Rea putting them back into the lead shortly after the resumption.

From there they were never headed, a third try nine minutes from time to Mase Laulu Togagae putting the result beyond doubt as the Eels ran out 18 points to 10 winners.

TOYOTA CUP

PARRAMATTA 18
Tries: Daniel Mortimer, Taputoa Rea, Mase Laulu Togagae
Goals: Tony Williams 3/3

NEWCASTLE 10
Tries: Jason Schirnack, Byron Fruean
Goals: Marty Paulson 1/2

At Parramatta Stadium