Cameron Rayner missed last-second shot on goal to draw QClash as Gold Coast secure third win of season

NO.1 DRAFT pick Cameron Rayner missed a last-second running shot at goal to secure a last-gasp draw for Brisbane in the QClash as Gold Coast survived a frenetic final term, thanks to massive defensive acts, to secure its third win of the season.

Co-captain Tom Lynch hugs Brayden Fiorini after one of his two goals. Picture: Getty

GOLD Coast senior coach Stuart Dew says the Suns took “baby steps” towards being the feared and revered team they dream of becoming in the frenzied five-point win over Brisbane in a thrilling QClash at the Gabba on Sunday night.

Lions young gun Cameron Rayner had a shot at goal in the dying seconds to force a draw but it sailed agonisingly wide to hand Gold Coast their third win of 2018 and leave Brisbane winless after five rounds.

WATCH CAMERON RAYNER’S LAST-SECOND MISS IN THE VIDEO ABOVE

The Suns were expected to be wooden spoon contenders but only percentage is keeping them out of the top eight after they held on grimly to add Brisbane’s scalp to wins over North Melbourne and Carlton.

AS IT HAPPENED: RAYNER MISSES LAST-SECOND SHOT AS SUNS WIN IN EPIC FINISH

MATCH CENTRE: STATS AND SUPERCOACH SCORES FROM THE QCLASH

Gold Coast led by 27 points midway through the third quarter on the back of suffocating defensive pressure but the Lions roared back into the contest to set-up a frantic final few minutes when both side sides threw everything but the kitchen sink at each other.

Lions players slump to the ground after Cameron Rayner’s missed shot and the final siren.

Suns midfielder Touk Miller summed up the desperation with a potential matchwinning smother on Brisbane’s Jacob Allison in the dying stages and claimed the Marcus Ashcroft Medal for best-on-ground after adding 21 disposals and seven clearances for the Gold Coast.

Miller also shutdown Lions star Dayne Zorko, keeping the 2017 All-Australian to just 10 touches for the game.

Brayden Fiorini had 27 touches and two goals for the Gold Coast while Jarrod Harbrow was influential with 25 disposals. Co-captain Steven May was strong in defence and kicked a crucial goal in the fourth term after dislocating his finger in the third quarter.

Dew said he wanted to turn the Suns into a hard-nosed, hard-to-beat unit when he arrived at Carrara and the squad was showing signs of being on the right track after rebounding from the 80-point loss to West Coast last week.

Jarryd Lyons had another good game for Gold Coast. Picture: Getty

“Every new coach would be like that. The important thing is the players were hungry for that. You can come with ideas but unless the players are hungry for it, you can probably talk to the wall a lot,’’ he said.

“We are really (doing) baby steps but I think what we’ve seen is that they are capable.

“At times we really let ourselves down but when we do it well, we are harder to play against.

“We did hang on, they were coming at us … some special efforts in the end.’’

Dew said Miller, his family and his friends should be proud of his performance.

“He is a real trusted member of the team. His discipline … he is willing to sacrifice positionally. We love the way he goes about it,’’ he said.

“Although it’s Round 5, some of those moments are special and should be celebrated.’’

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan was left to lament missed opportunities when the Lions were full of running and had all the momentum in the frantic final quarter.

Touk Miller was best on ground as he won plenty of the ball but also limited Dayne Zorko’s influence. Picture: Getty

“We just have to learn from it and maybe we need to show a bit more composure later in the game. I thought we missed some set shots that we should have kicked tonight, when you lose by five points, you look at that,’’ he said.

“But gee we did a lot of things right on the night. The effort was there.

“He (Rayner) was disappointed (post-match) but he shouldn’t be because we had other players who missed easier shots on the night.’’

Fagan is confident the mounting losses will not cripple his team and was proud that younger players like Jarrod Berry, Hugh McCluggage and Alex Witherden were some of Brisbane’s best.

“Eventually the tide will turn,’’ he said.

Suns small forward Darcy MacPherson left the game win the second quarter with lower leg injury.

Co-captain Tom Lynch hugs Brayden Fiorini after one of his two goals. Picture: Getty

FIVE THINGS WE LEARNT

— Suns midfielder Brayden Fiorini is a seriously silky talent. The classy left-footer was kicking goals or setting them up. He finished with 27 disposals and two goals. Touk Miller was outstanding and a deserved Marcus Ashcroft Medallist and provided the grunt but Fiorini provided the glitz.

— For all the endless optimism around Brisbane over summer and the brownie points for the gutsy efforts in four of the first five weeks, it is time for Lions to get a wriggle on. The brutal bottom line is that Brisbane are 0-5 with a trip to Sydney to take on GWS this Saturday.

— When the Suns’ forward pressure is good, Gold Coast is very hard to beat. The manic tackling and “pressure acts” from the first two weeks when Gold Coast trumped North Melbourne and Carlton, returned with interest for the QClash. They got the Sherrin inside 50 and kept it locked in there with the Lions’ skill level not good enough to hatch an easy escape.

Gold Coast Suns players pose for a team photo with the QClash cup.

— Dayne Zorko can find himself a wrestle, fight, scrap, scuffle or scrape in a QClash. The Suns ripped into the Brisbane star at every chance and he didn’t take a backward step. Zorko had just three touches to quarter-time, six to halftime and seven to three-quarter time.

Touk Miller wore him like a glove and limited him to 10 for the game.

— The Sunday 4.40pm timeslot is a stinker. The modest crowd of 16, 087 told the story. It’s the graveyard shift of every round. The fact that the sides had a combined losing margin of 173 points last weekend wouldn’t have helped. But the Queensland clubs need to win the hearts and minds of the kids and a 4.40pm start on a school night is not family friendly.

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Originally published as Cameron Rayner missed last-second shot on goal to draw QClash as Gold Coast secure third win of season