Dragons go down in seesawing contest

The Dragons fired in an early challenge to remain on the attack after Ella Koster was ruled to have knocked the ball on only for replays to show that the back rower had pinned the ball on her hip and maintained control.

The Raiders drew first blood however through Madison Bartlett who reeled in a looping Ashleigh Quinlan cut-out to power her way over in the left corner and make it 4-0.

They extended their lead moments later through Grace Kemp who muscled her way over to the left of the sticks after the visitors had forced a dropout.

Bobbi Law left the field a quarter of the way in for a HIA – which she ultimately passed – after her head slammed into the turf whilst carrying the ball.

Koster shifted out into the centres temporarily with birthday girl Charlotte Basham entering the contest for her first taste of action.

Berry got the hosts on the board several plays later sweeping around down the left-hand side and coming off her left foot before dragging a pair of defenders over the line to score and cut the deficit back to a half-dozen.

The Raiders won a challenge of their own shortly after with Felice Quinlan ruled to have held onto the ball midfield before Monalisa Soliola hit Shakia Tungai with a swift long ball off it to lay on the visiting side’s third try of the afternoon.

Raecene McGregor earnt the Red V a repeat set soon after with Madison Mulhall held up over the line off it before an ill-timed error put an end to the raid.

McGregor’s boot got the Dragons another result a set later with the visitors unable to defuse the No.7’s well-placed bomb as Shenai Lendill picked up the crumbs and displayed some superb footwork to dive over behind the posts for her first try of the year.

The hosts marched back onto the attack the next set thanks in large part to a strong Zali Hopkins scoot with McGregor’s boot forcing another error to finish off the set.

Tauaneai stormed her way over back against the grain off a scheming Hopkins with McGregor adding the extras to tie things up at 16-apiece heading into the break.

The Raiders lost their challenge early in the second half before Kerehitina Matua was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle on Madison Mulhall.

Steph Hancock was assisted from the field the following set nursing an apparent lower leg injury stemming from a similar style tackle.

The Red V hit the front for the first time off it with Tauaneai crashing over for her second off another crafty Hopkins delivery.

Bartlett plucked a Dragons pass out of the air the following set before being mowed down by Alice Gregory with the hosts’ defence holding strong off it to remain ahead.

The Dragons pushed further ahead thanks to Kasey Reh who sped into space off a Law offload to fall over the line for the second try of her career with McGregor’s conversion making it a 12-point game.

Ashleigh Quinlan found a response for the Raiders with a little under a quarter of the clash to play courtesy of a Zahara Temara inside ball to cut it back to 28-22.

Jamilee Bright was helped from the field in the aftermath of the try with an apparent lower leg issue as Basham re-entered the action.

Kemp stormed over for her second of the afternoon moments later with Temara’s conversion sailing over to make it 28-all.

Bartlett crossed off a Dragons drop for her second to put the Raiders ahead 32-28 with less than 10 to play.

Law left the field for a second time in the wake of the try forcing the Red V into another reshuffle with Hancock coming back onto the field having shaken off her own injury worry.

The Raiders iced the win late through Amelia Pasikala who dummied her way through off a Kemp offload to cross to the left of the uprights.

Berry added yet another phenomenal four-pointer to her highlights package in the final minute launching a kick from inside her own half and out-jostling her opposite Apii Nicholls to regather the football and sprint the final 40 metres.