For the second week in a row, a Billy Magoulias chip kick, with time running out, has seen the Newtown Jets claim a 20-16 victory over the Burleigh Bears in the most sensational of circumstances.
With the full-time siren only seconds away and the Jets down by two, Magoulias took the ball down the short side, put in a well-weighted kick, and it was Jackson Ferris on the end of it, the ball bouncing perfectly as the young centre claimed possession and dashed away to score the match-winner.
After the victory over Wentworthville, won in similar fashion last Sunday afternoon in the Canterbury Cup decider, it was an amazing end to an outstanding season for the Newtown club.
The match was a defensive struggle early on and it took 20 minutes before the first points were posted, Braydon Trindall kicking a penalty goal from adjacent to the posts to put the Jets up 2-0.
On the back of a Newtown error the Bears would respond, half-back Jamaal Fogerty throwing a clever flick pass for Anthony Don to cross wide out.
The kick from the eastern touchline was unsuccessful however the Burleigh side led 4-2 after 24 minutes.
The Bears would extend their lead, coming against the run of play, when a mistimed pass hit the ground Burleigh five eighth Dylan Pythian pick up the ball, raced 80-metres down field, before finding Don is support for his second try of the afternoon.
This time the conversion from in front was good and the Bears led 10-2 with under 10 minutes of the first half remaining.
The Jets were forced to defend grimly to end the opening 40, their task made more difficult when Ronaldo Mulitalo was sin-binned for what appeared to be a trivial offence and an over-reaction from the match officials, as Burleigh would take the eight-point advantage to the half time break.
It looked as if the Bears had extended their lead early on in the second period, another long-range effort following a poor Jets kick when in an attacking field position, but the try was denied at the other end by a Will Kennedy try-saver, the fullback holding up his opponent inches from the line.
With a stroke of luck however the Bears would push their advantage out further not long after, a passing raid down the right looked like breaking down when Don threw a poor pass at the feet of Fogerty, but he collected the ball after a lucky rebound off his feet and grounded the ball next to the right hand upright.
Fogerty converted his own try and after nine minutes of the second period the Bears led 16-2.
The Jets gave themselves and their fans some encouragement soon after, Mulitalo putting Sione Katoa into space and with an acrobatic effort the winger got the ball down in the corner for his 14th try for Newtown of the 2019 season.
Trindall couldn't add the extras from a wide angle, leaving the Bears up 16-6 with still 25 minutes left on the clock.
The Jets got a slice of luck of their own to edge closer to the Bears, a Magoulias kick charge down was picked up by Ferris, the centre winning a 50-metre race to the try line and despite the missed kick at goal there was only a converted try in it at 16-10 to Burleigh 62 minutes into the game.
With Burleigh tiring and the Jets pressing, this time it was a Kennedy pass that saw Katoa go one on one with his opposite and again the number two was brilliant in grounding the ball inches from the corner post, the try making it 16-14 Bears.
Unfortunately Trindall couldn't repeat the game-tying kick of a week ago and there was still two points in it with three and a half minutes remaining.
Inexplicably the Bears kicked out on the full from the restart, gifting field position to the Jets and a grandstand finish seemed assured.
The Jets threw an intercept while attacking and all appeared to be lost, the Bears running out their set of six, handing the ball over the Newtown with under 20 seconds left to go.
The first play was a hit up, Blayke Brailey went short side to Magoulias with the siren sounding in the back ground, then the rest was history, Newtown scoring an amazing win for the second week in succession.
Sharks and Jets forward Toby Rudolf was a worthy winner of the official man of the match award, but Newtown had a number of outstanding players on the day.
The Kennedy try-saver was a huge play, Ferris coming on the in the second half for the injured Luke Polselli added spark on the Jets left, while Brailey, Magnolias and the rest of the forward pack all worked hard and were rewarded with the win.
JETS 20
Jackson Ferris 2, Sione Katoa 2 tries, Braydon Trindall, Greg Eastwood goals
Beat
Burleigh 16
