GERRINGONG remain Group 7’s only undefeated team after downing Jamberoo 18-12 in a hard fought affair at Michael Cronin Oval on Saturday afternoon.
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The top of the table clash had received plenty of attention in the lead up and the game lived up to the hype, as both as both sides threw everything they had at each other for the entire 80 minutes.
While both sides came into the match off the back of big wins in the previous week, points were hard to come by with a combination of strong defence and the heavy track under foot working to keep the score tight.
Both sides had early scoring opportunities, with Gerringong’s Lloyd Bowen and Jamberoo’s Corey Grigg both crossing the line only to be called back by referee Will Drury.
The games’ first points didn’t come until more than a quarter of the game had gone, but they well worth the wait thanks to some impressive aerial work by Joel Doosey.
Self-preservation was the last thing in the mind of the Gerringong winger as he soared above the Jamberoo defence to tap back a bomb from Rixon Russell.
Rookie centre Toby-Gumley Quine managed to get a hand to the ball to grab his first try of the year.
Jake Taylor’s conversion gave the Gerringong a 6-nil lead.
It was a lead that didn’t last long though - Gerringong turned the ball over in the ensuing set and Jamberoo didn’t allow the opportunity to go to waste.
Back-rower Brendan Smith stormed into a yawning gap to cross next to the posts.
Josh Kent’s conversion then levelled the scores at 6-6.
Jamberoo then came close to claiming the lead when Kent ran the ball on the last, but the five-eighth lost ball as he fought to get over the line.
Superoos’ winger Andre Clarke then managed to get over the line only for some scrambling Gerringong defence to hold him up.
With a just over three minutes remaining in the half, Gerringong were presented with a prime chance to take the lead but opted to take the tap rather than attempt an easy penalty goal and the score remained unchanged at the break.
There wasn’t long to wait for the first points of the second half, with Jamberoo grabbing the lead in the opening minutes.
This time it was Jamberoo winger Ben Barnard with some impressive work in the air as he plucked a cross-field kick from Josh Kent out of the air.
Dean Watling added the conversion for a 12-6 Jamberoo lead.
The visitors would hold that lead until Gerringong drew level with a little over 20 minutes remaining.
Corey Mulhall, fresh off playing for the Illawarra/South Coast under 23 side earlier in the day, muscled his way over next to posts.
Jake Taylor added the conversion to lock up the score at 12-all.
The scores weren’t level for long after Gerringong took advantage of some ideal field position following some ill discipline from Jamberoo.
Rixon Russell chose to run the ball on the fifth and produced a prayer of an offload that was ambitiously tipped on by Ewen McCarroll to Isaac Russell who found an unmarked Kristian Jarret in the corner.
Jake Taylor’s sideline conversion gave Gerringong an 18-12 lead with just under 15 minutes remaining.
As time ticked down it looked like Daniel Brown had secured the win for Lions when he followed his own grubber into the in-goal but was ruled to have knocked-on.
Jamberoo would then have one last chance to at least snatch a draw, but Gerringong defused a kick in the in-goal and then ran out the clock to take the win.
In an entertaining affair, Nathan Ford, PJ Ford and Gumley-Quine all had strong games for the Lions, while Mark Asquith, Luke Asquith and Kent led the way for Jamberoo.