Dragons thwarted in Townsville

The hosts were instead able to march back down the other end and draw first blood through Zac Laybutt who stormed back against the grain and through a  gap to dive over centre-field and make it 6-0.

The Cowboys were able to continue their hot start moments later with Reece Robson slipping through and handing the ball off to Dearden for their second four-pointer of the night.

Scott Drinkwater fashioned an inch-perfect kick their next set to earn his side a repeat set with John Bateman claiming a try several plays later off a Robson grubber only for video officials to rule that Clint Gutherson beat the back rower to the ball to prevent the score.

A yardage penalty gave the Dragons an opportunity back in Cowboys’ territory and Shane Flanagan’s men were able to take full advantage with Damien Cook shooting off down a narrow right side and sending it through the hands out to Tyrell Sloan who strolled over to score.

Kyle Flanagan knocked over the extra two to cut the deficit back to 12-6 for the Dragons before David Klemmer was placed on report off the following kick-off for an alleged knee lift.

Cook went close to pinching a try of his own moments later after scooping up the ball at dummy-half in the thick of a messy ruck but was unable to get the ball to the turf.

Coen Hess was placed on report for a high shot on Mathew Feagai several plays later as the infringements began to pile up.

Lyhkan King-Togia was then able to craft a deft grubber for a chasing Feagai who did a marvellous job in traffic to reel the ball in and dive over to tie things at 12-apiece.

Griffin Neame fell over the line for the Cowboys off a crash play not long after, but the officials ruled a forward pass out of dummy-half as the scoreline remained 12-all.

Coen Hess would not be denied however with the front rower wrestling out of contact and getting the ball to the turf to put the hosts back on top.

Robert Derby appeared to have nabbed another for the Cowboys prior to the break only for video officials to intervene late and rule that the winger’s elbow had brushed the chalk.

Corey Allan left the field for a HIA – which he passed – in the aftermath forcing a backline re-shuffle with Feagai moving out to the flank and Cook shifting into the centres.

Dearden’s hot opening forty persisted with the No.7 slicing into space from his own side of halfway and tossing it inside to a supporting Scott Drinkwater to score a minute shy of the half in a frustrating blow for the Dragons.

The visitors’ horror end to the half continued with Jeremiah Nanai scoring off the back of a wild sequence in which Drinkwater manufactured a last-ditch, cross-field kick which fell into the hands of his chasing back rower as the hosts took a 28-12 lead into the sheds.

The Dragons dragged Kaiden Lahrs into touch off the second half kick-off to earn a quick shot on the attack but were unable to breakthrough.

Kyle Flanagan produced a spirited defensive effort to hold Reuben Cotter up over the line soon after as the difference remained 16.

Video officials were again brought into the game with a half-hour to play with Derby going close off a Dearden grubber only for a knock-on to be ruled in-goal.

Karl Lawton was placed on report for dangerous contact on Jaydn Su’A the next set but again the Dragons were unable to eat into the Cowboys’ lead off it.

Su’A limped off the field with a knee issue in the aftermath as things went from bad to worse for the visiting side.

The Dragons were able to nab a much-needed four-pointer moments later with King-Togia throwing a shrewd cut-out to Allan who went over untouched to bring it back to 28-16 entering the final quarter of the clash.

A successful Captain’s Challenge overturned an on-field knock-on to instead hand the Dragons another shot in enemy territory with Sloan notching his second of the night off it.

The Dapto junior finished off a textbook right-side shift in which Gutherson showed some nice hands on the final pass to knock another four points off the deficit and make it 28-20.

Soon after, a fired up Klemmer forced a Cowboys error as they carted it out of their own end, and it resulted in more points.

Hamish Stewart, who put together a busy second half, poked his nose through in the opposition 10-metre zone and earnt a quick play-the-ball paving the path for Jacob Liddle to slip over out of dummy-half in trademark fashion to cut it back to 28-26 with 14 minutes to play.

Dearden came up with a desperately needed try for the hosts strolling through down the short side on a last tackle raid to put his side back up by six with seven-and-a-half minutes remaining.

Drinkwater knocked over a gift penalty goal the next set to extend the hosts’ lead beyond a converted and virtually put to bed any hopes of a Dragons fightback.

The Cowboys added to their lead off the corresponding short kick-off with Jaxon Purdue racing away down the left touchline.

Liddle secured his second try double of the year late taking in a nice Klemmer offload and motoring over under the sticks, handing the visitors a two-and-a-half minute passage to find another try to force golden point but some desperate late play came up short.