22/08/2008 10:28 PM
A trademark piece of Darren Lockyer magic in golden-point-extra time has seen the Broncos sink a gallant Gold Coast Titans 25-21 at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Three minutes into the first-extra period, Lockyer shaped for the match-winning field goal but instead stepped the rushing defence and set sail for the line before delivering the final pass to a rampaging Greg Eastwood to seal a vital victory.
Lockyer's brilliance was a fitting end to a thrilling affair which saw the Broncos overcome an eight-point-half-time deficit with three second-half tries, before a late equaliser from the visitors leveled things up seven minutes out from the siren.
In a thrilling end to regulation time Lockyer landed a 77th-minute-field goal to seemingly seal the deal before Scott Prince immediately answered with a point of his own to extend the contest.
The much-needed victory solidifies Brisbane's position inside the top eight moving them three points clear of the Raiders, Dragons and Warriors on who sit on 26 points.
For the gallant Titans, the loss ends any hope of a finals berth after a disastrous late-season slide amid a horror injury toll saw them freefall out of the top eight.
The Broncos gave the majority of the capacity crowd reason to cheer in the third minute when prop Joel Clinton burst through some lack-lustre defence to register the first four-pointer of the night.
Corey Parker's conversion made it 6-0 Brisbane's way.
The early concession sparked the Titans into action but the Broncos defence held firm under fire.
It took a piece of Preston Campbell magic to finally level the scores in the 21st minute as the fleet-footed fullback skipped through some tired defence to score adjacent to the uprights and level things up at 6-6.
The weight of possession began to take its toll on the Broncos defence as Campbell put Matt Rogers into space to touch-down under the posts for the converted try and a 12-6 lead.
A Prince penalty goal four minutes from the interval extended the lead beyond a converted try to complete a near-perfect half of football which saw John Cartwright's men complete 20 of 21 attacking sets.
Whatever master-mentor Wayne Bennett said to his charges at the interval did the trick as the Broncos crossed four minutes after the resumption to cut the deficit to a solitary try.
The NRL's leading try scorer Denan Kemp did the damage crossing out wide after some clever lead-up work from his inside men.
Momentum stayed with the hosts who drew level eight minutes later when hooker Michael Ennis showed tremendous strength to touch down in heavy traffic.
Parker's conversion from point-blank range saw the Broncos edge ahead at 16-14 with just under half an hour to play.
The Broncos continued to dominate the second stanza moving further ahead through Darius Boyd who crossed out wide to extend the advantage out to a converted try in the 63rd minute.
But just when the Titans' season seemed dead and buried, centre Josh Graham scored against the run of play with 12 minutes remaining - Prince held his nerve to level the scores at 20 apiece and set up the grandstand finish.
Broncos 25
Tries: Clinton, Kemp, Ennis, Boyd, Eastwood,
Goals: Parker 2
Field goal: Lockyer
Titans 21
Tries: Campbell, Rogers, Graham,
Goals: Prince 4
Field Goal: Prince
Sportal Player of the Year
3: Michael Ennis (Brisbane Broncos)
2: Scott Prince (Gold Coast Titans)
1: Darren Lockyer (Brisbane Broncos)