Titans fall 17-16 in golden point in thrilling defeat to persistent Panthers
GOLD Coast have fallen just short against Penrith, going down 17-16 courtesy of a Nathan Cleary field goal in golden point after the Panthers equalised in the final seconds of regular time.
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THE Titans are at threat of finishing their season with the wooden spoon after suffering a heartbreaking loss to an under-siege Panthers side.
For the majority of the game the Gold Coast looked like they were going to run away with the victory, in what would have been an upset against a Penrith team rocked by coaching troubles this week.
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However, in stunning scenes at Cbus Super Stadium, the Panthers piled on two tries in the final five minutes to send the game into golden point at 16-all where star halfback Nathan Cleary kicked the winning field goal.
The Titans were left shell-shocked and now have to win their final three games if they want to avoid falling to the bottom of the ladder.
It appeared as though the sacking of Panthers coach Anthony Griffin this week was going to hand the Titans a much-needed win.
But too many errors and poor defence in the final five minutes, opened the door for the Panthers to strike up a morale-boosting victory.
Cleary scored a try in the 75th minute to bring the Panthers within four points of the Titans, but the biggest blow came with just seconds left on the clock as winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak raced through.
In another twist Cleary missed the goal attempt to keep the scores locked at 16-all as the final siren sounded, but then proved to be Penrith’s saviour.
It was a massive blow for the Titans, who have claimed just one victory in the last six rounds.
Coach Garth Brennan said he was “gutted” by the result and admitted their defence let them down in the final five minutes when they had the lead.
But he said he was still proud of the effort he saw from his side.
“I’m really proud of the boys’ performance, there’s no doubt about that,” he said.
“I thought we were the better team but it’s another bump in the journey we’re heading and another lesson learnt.
“We’re a young team and that’s part of where we are.
“Where we end up (on the ladder) ... we don’t worry about that after Round 25.
“As much as it hurts, let’s learn from it, let’s move on.”
The only promising sign for the Gold Coast as they head into next week’s clash with the Sea Eagles was the form of AJ Brimson at fullback.
Michael Gordon was a late scratching after dislocating his wrist at training, opening the door for Kane Elgey to return to the side and for Brimson to move to fullback, which is where he shone earlier this season in the Intrust Super Cup.
He quickly showed why he garnered so much hype for his performances in the No. 1, with a strong defensive display at the back.
Brimson pulled off a number of try-savings tackles across the afternoon and impressed greatly with a massive hit to take Penrith centre Waqa Blake over the sideline in the 49th minute.
However it was not enough as Brimson was left alone at the back after the halves missed the crucial tackles in the final five minutes.
But with Tyrone Roberts to return to the Titans next year, it does boost Brimson’s chances of being the long-term fullback.
PENRITH 17 (W Blake N Cleary D Watene-Zelezniak tries N Cleary 2 goals N Cleary field goal) bt GOLD COAST 16 (A Don R James P Sami tries K Elgey A Taylor goals) in extra time at Cbus Super Stadium. Referee: Henry Perenara, Ziggy Przeklasa- Adamski. Crowd: 11,283
Originally published as Titans fall 17-16 in golden point in thrilling defeat to persistent Panthers