Canberra Raiders produce second-half surge to score comeback win over Penrith Panthers

WHEN the Panthers finished last in 2007, one fan burnt a giant wooden spoon into the grass on the training paddock at the back of Centrebet Stadium.

WHEN the Panthers finished last in 2007, one fan burnt a giant wooden spoon into the grass on the training paddock at the back of Centrebet Stadium.

Security ought to remain on high alert after Penrith lost to Canberra yesterday, leaving them ahead of Parramatta on points differential only.

A day after a rejuvenated Eels beat the Roosters - another roughie for the spoon - the Panthers offered little resistance in the second half against a Raiders team that kept their own finals hopes alive.

The Panthers were unlucky when video referee Paul Mellor awarded Raiders centre Jarrod Croker a try in the 46th minute after replays suggested he knocked the ball into winger David Simmons. The controversial moment let Canberra draw level, and they went on to score two more tries to seal the result.

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To make matters worse, the Panthers also had superstar centre Michael Jennings placed on report twice, including an ugly diving tackle at the legs of playmaker Josh McCrone as the Raider got a kick away.

Coach Ivan Cleary, who must somehow get his players to lift against the Warriors, Gold Coast and Brisbane, does not want the spoon in his first season at the club.

"Nobody really wants it," Cleary said. "But you finish the season where you deserve.

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"We've got three games to go. We'll be looking to improve each week and where we finish, that's where we'll finish.

"The tries they scored today, there was a little bit of luck involved. But I felt like we had a lot of opportunities, a lot of half-breaks, half chances.

"We probably got a bit excited, and in the end it's a game you feel like slipped a way a bit. We've had a few like that this year, and it's something we'll have to work on."

Cleary said Croker should never have been awarded the Raiders' first try.

"He (Mellor) must have been looking at something different to me," Cleary said. "I actually thought it was a no-brainer, and I reckon if you look at Jarrod Croker's body language afterwards ... it often gives you a good indication. A lot of players out there were expecting the red light to come up."

Cleary said the dodgy decision is another reason to introduce a "coach's challenge", a concept which is to be discussed tomorrow.

Penrith scored through Josh Mansour in the fourth minute to lead 6-0, and that's the way it stayed until half-time.

The Panthers should have scored more points, especially with fullback Michael Gordon looking dangerous every time he touched the ball.

Canberra levelled through Croker, then pulled ahead with tries to McCrone and Joe Picker.When McCrone slotted a penalty goal from in front, most supporters filed to the exits.

A late Gordon try added a bit of respect to the scoreline.

Raiders coach Dave Furner described the win as "ugly".

But it was a victory secured without giant prop Dane Tilse, who hours before the game had to rush back to Canberra to be with wife Katie, who was expecting the birth of their child.

Canberra moved to ninth on the ladder, and are an outside chance to be in the eight by next weekend if results go their way.

"I thought our defence was pretty gutsy," Furner said.

"While it was ugly, I am happy with the two points.

"We wanted to get into the grind straight away. To hold them to 6-0 after not being able to build pressure on their tryline was a good result at half-time.

"It was a pretty committed effort in building pressure and completions last week and we need to just keep rolling off the back of that. Although our first half wasn't the best, in the second we completed in the high 80s, which gave us some energy and we got some points."

RAIDERS 20 (J Croker J McCrone J Picker tries J Croker 4 goals) bt PENRITH 10 (M Gordon J Mansour tries L Walsh goal) at Centrebet Stadium. Referee: Jason Robinson, Brett Suttor. Crowd: 7,437.