Sharks' last minute try sinks
Warriors

Fulltime score: Round 9 SHARKS 28 v WARRIORS 24

Match summary: Cronulla Sharks' five eighth Adam Dykes has scored last minute try to snatch a 28-24 victory over the New Zealand Warriors in Perth tonight.

Over 13,000 people attended the Member's Equity ground to witness what was the first Western Australian NRL match in eight years.

The largely pro-Kiwi crowd were treated to a sometimes entertaining first half, both sides scoring two tries each.

At half time, the Warriors held a narrow 12-10 lead.

The second half saw some end-to-end football, mixed with some fundamental errors, as both sides struggled to determine a result.

A try to Lance Hohaia in the 57th minute put the Warriors 24-16 in front.

But the Sharks struck back through Nigel Vagana and with 15 minutes to go, the Warriors were hanging onto a tenuous two point lead.

The Warriors then stepped up a gear and coming into the final 10 minutes, looked likely to cause an upset.

But with full time looming, Dykes saw his opportunity and after delivering a dummy to a tiring defence, he stepped through to score next to the posts.

Scorers: SHARKS 28 Tries: Kimmorley, Simmons, Peachey, Vagana, Dykes Goals: Covell 4/5 WARRIORS 24 Tries: Koopu, Byrne, Villasanti, Hohaia Goals: Hohaia 4/4

Members Equity, Perth. Crowd 13,293 Referee: Tony Archer

Live commentary: 0 min: Healthy sized crowd in Perth tonight, the match being played at 7:30pm here, 9:30 in Sydney. Hard yakka for the Warriors who are on an 11:30pm clock. The NRL being played in Perth for the first time in eight years.

Stacey Jones has been ruled out of the Warriors' side.

Kickoff! 15 min: TRY - Warriors. Wairangi Koopu backing up on the inside to score near the posts after some strong angle running down the left side from Clinton Toopi. Conversion successful from Lance Hohaia. Warriors 6-0

19 min: TRY - Sharks. Brett Kimmorley gets past some soft defence to score under the posts. Conversion Luke Covell. 6-all

31 min: TRY - Sharks. David Simmons scores in the right corner. The Warriors battling to keep their line intact. Conversion from Luke Covell never looks like going over. Sharks 10-6

35 min: TRY - Warriors. Todd Byrne scores after Sharks' winger Luke Covell makes a meal of it and fumbles the ball behind his own try line. Conversion Hohaia. Warriors 12-10

HALF TIME: Sharks looking to get on top in the first half but the Warriors are hanging in there and are surprise leaders at half time. Warriors enjoying a little more possesssion and field position but the Sharks have had their opportunities in a match which has had its fair share of errors. Clinton Toopi and Steven Price are working hard for the Warriors while Danny Nutley is putting in his usual workload for the Sharks and tackling all comers.

Second half underway...

47 min: TRY - Sharks. David Peachey gets outside the defence and crashes over 10 metres in from touch. The conversion from Covell is spot on. Sharks 16-12

53 min: TRY - Warriors. Richard Villasanti charges down a kick from Michael Sullivan then races over 30 metres to score under the posts. Conversion Hohaia. Warriors 18-16

57 min: TRY - Warriors. Hohaia scores after video ref deems that there was no double movement. Comes on the back some quick play-the-ball from the Kiwis while the Sharks went to sleep. Hohaia converts from right in front. Warriors 24-16

63 min: TRY - Sharks. Nigel Vagana scores on the right side, 5 metres in from touch courtesy of an overlap. Follows sustained pressure. Conversion Covell. Warriors 24-22

73-76 min: NEWS - Sharks under pressure in their own 20m zone as Warriors get repeat sets. But Vagana intercepts and run 70m before being cut down by Hohaia. The Warriors' defence is shot to bits. In the next play, Peachey loses the ball with support players everywhere. Possibly the turning point of the match. Adam Dykes makes another error and the match seems to be slipping away from the Sharks. Its not over yet...

78 min: NEWS - Sharks attacking now with repeat sets. Warriors forced into a line drop out.

79 min: TRY - Sharks. Adam Dykes scores next to the posts. Warriors falling for the dummy. Conversion Covell is successful and the Sharks have burgled the match. Sharks 28-24

FULL TIME: Sharks win 28-24. A bizarre match which was always up for grabs. The Sharks probably lucky to come away with the two points. The Warriors will rue the fact that they let the game slip away in the final minutes.

----------------------------------------- Leagueunlimited.com players of the match: 3 - L Hohaia (Warriors) 2 - D Nutley (Sharks) 1 - P Gallen (Sharks) -----------------------------------------