DCE field goal has Manly up and running

Manly are up and running after a last-gasp win when they were forced to come from behind in a gripping second half against the Warriors at Central Coast Stadium.

Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans celebrates his field goal and the win against the New Zealand Warriors at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford. Picture: Getty Images

Manly are up and running. Not a moment too soon either. They got there in the most excruciating of circumstances, a last-gasp 13-12 win when they were forced to come from behind in a gripping second half against the Warriors at Central Coast Stadium.

With two seconds to go, captain Daly Cherry-Evans sent the ball sailing over the crossbar and leapt into the arms of his teammates.

Finally, after four consecutive defeats, the Sea Eagles tasted victory. Cherry-Evans, having been maligned for much of the season, celebrated as Warriors players dropped to the ground.

Relief swept across the Sea Eagles. Their start to the season has been a train wreck but they are back on the rails thanks to their skipper and highest-paid player.

They got there after clawing their way back in the second half, running into a stiff breeze and showing the sort of resolve and resilience that has been lacking over the opening month.

Manly were well in the fight at halftime but they ran out for the second 40 minutes to be greeted by a gale blowing right in their face.

When your luck is out, your luck is out. The Warriors were in no mood for mercy. With $3 million worth of talent on the sideline, they controlled the game early in the second stanza through half Sean O’Sullivan.

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They rode the breeze and looked headed for their third win of the year when O’Sullivan threw a dummy and beat the porous defence of Shaun Keppie to score.

A moment of individual brilliance had put the Warriors back in the ascendancy. It didn’t last long as Cherry-Evans orchestrated a response form the Sea Eagles.

His kick should have been cleaned up by Kodi Nikorima but he made a hash of things of Josh Schuster was on hand to pick up the scraps.

The scores were level again. Cherry-Evans spurned the chance to take a shot at field goal. It was O’Sullivan who took the first snap with five minutes to go but it sailed wide. Schuster then stepped up and took a shot but it was charged down by Tohu Harris with 30 seconds to go.

There was still time for Manly to reset and go again. They gritted their teeth and worked to the posts. First Marty Taupau, then Jake Trbojevic.

The stage was set for the skipper. Cherry-Evans has had his critics as Manly have laboured through the opening four weeks but cometh the hour, cometh the man.

He made no mistake and the Sea Eagles’ season had the kickstart it desperately needed. Both sides had come into the game significantly undermanned.

Manly fullback Tom Trbojevic has been a massive out for the Sea Eagles as he fights his way back from a hamstring tear.

The good news for Manly is that Trbojevic should be back next week provided he gets through a searching examination on Saturday morning. The win came at a cost for Manly. Dylan Walker could miss up two months after tearing his hamstring while Jack Gosiewski’s season is possibly over with a foot injury.

“When you strip it all back it is always great to win those types of games. It was pretty ugly but sometimes the ugliest games are the best to be involved in. It was great to walk with the result tonight,’’ said Manly coach Des Hasler.

The Warriors will have to wait longer for their cavalry to arrive, led by prop Addin Fonua-Blake. The off-season signing from Manly had started the year in outstanding form but is set to miss four months or more with a knee problem.

“We don’t expect to come here and be perfect ... but we should have been a lot, to better wth the ball,’’ reflected Warriors coach Nathan Brown.

Manly had made a solid start to the game left by prop Taniela Paseka, who almost created the opening try for Manly when he offloaded to Jake Trbojevic and the Sea Eagles backrower burrowed for the line.

With a try in sight, Trbojevic had the ball jolted from his grasp by the legs of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Not long after Keppie offloaded with the line beckoning and off-loaded for Lachlan Croker, who was again thwarted at the 11th hour by the desperation of Jazz Tevaga.

They wouldn’t be denied. With 12 minutes remaining in the half, Cherry-Evans kicked from a scrum in his own half and Jason Saab showed electrifying pace to win the race to the ball, scorching across Central Coast Stadium to finally reward the Sea Eagles for an impressive opening half.

The Warriors weren’t behind for long. Tuivasa-Sheck put Jack Murchie in a hole and his pass was batted down by Saab, but bounced kindly for Ken Maumalo to score.