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The Central Coast Rays have qualified for the Mazda ARC Grand Final after scoring a 27-19 comeback win over the Perth Spirit in their semi-final clash at Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Running with a gale at their backs in the second stanza, the Rays overcame a 16-point half-time deficit to run away with the three-tries-to-one victory to book their place in the season decider against the winner of Sunday's second semi-final between the Western Sydney Rams and the Melbourne Rebels.
Taking advantage of the blustery conditions, Perth dominated territory and possession in the first half but could only manage one try, while the Rays seemed like a different side in the second half as they overpowered the tiring Spirit side to score a thrilling win.
Perth Spirit went on the attack early and should have scored the opening try in the second minute of play but Junior Pelesasa lost possession as he tried to ground the ball under the posts.
Scott Daruda scored the opening points when he slotted an easy conversion attempt from 20m out, directly in front, in the seventh minute.
The Spirit went close to scoring a try again in the 19th minute when they worked their way inside the Rays' 22 only for prop AJ Whalley, who had shown superb footwork to weave his way to within metres of the line, to lose the ball as he tried to stretch out for the try.
From the ensuing five-metre scrum, Perth pressured the home side and was rewarded with a penalty when Rays centre Sam Harris threw the ball across the dead-ball line. Fullback Luke McLean slotted a left-foot shot through the posts to make it 6-0 to the visitors.
With a gale at their backs, the Spirit continued to dominate territory and were awarded another penalty when Cameron Treloar was penalised for rucking a player without the ball. But McLean's shot from 30m out and directly in front hit the posts to leave the score at 6-0.
Perth lost Pelesasa to a knee injury midway through the first half with Jackson Mullane coming on to oppose his brother, Jye, on the wing with Ryan Cross moving into inside centre and Nick Cummins outside him.
The Spirit eventually turned pressure into points when big lock Sitaleki Timani crashed his way over adjacent to the posts for the first try of the game in the 26th minute. McLean kicked the conversion to give the Spirit a 13-0 lead.
The Spirit should have scored their second try 10 minutes before half-time when they created on overlap on the left side but Whalley's last pass went behind Mullane and over the sideline. However, referee James Leckie pulled the play back for an offside play and McLean stepped up to slot the penalty to make it 16-0, which was the half-time score.
The Rays hit back within a minute of the break with Brett Sheehan throwing a cut-out pass for fullback Peter Hewat to dance his way through three defenders and touch down out wide. Hewat converted his own try to make it 16-7.
The Spirit kept the ball in hand in the face of the strengthening southerly and almost scored their second try with Rays centre Ben Jacobs saving the day for the home side when he managed to hold up Perth winger Ed Jenkins over the tryline.
From the ensuing scrum, the Spirit worked their way across the tryline and were awarded a penalty directly in front of the posts for an infringement in the ruck. McLean eased the ball over the black dot for a 19-7 lead.
The Rays hit back almost immediately when Sheehan, standing out in the centres, got on the outside of Cross and offloaded to Jacobs, who did well to step back inside the cover and sprint away for a try. Hewat converted to reduce the margin to five points, 19-14.
Hewat reduced the margin to two points when he slotted an easy penalty after Daruda was pinged for offside directly in front of his own sticks.
The Rays hit the lead with eight minutes left when they worked play inside the Spirit 22 and flyhalf Sam Norton-Knight sprinted through a gap on the fringe of the ruck to dive over for his eighth try of the campaign. Hewat converted to make it 24-19.
Hewat added a penalty goal right on the full-time siren for an eight-point win that sends his side into the inaugural Mazda ARC Grand Final.
CentralCoastRays 27
Tries: Peter Hewat, Ben Jacobs, Sam Norton-Knight
Conversions: Hewat 3/3
Penalties: Hewat 2/2
PerthSpirit 19
Trie: Sitaleki Timani
Conversion: Luke McLean 1/1
Penalties: Scott Daruda 1/1, Luke McLean 2/3
ET Perth Spirit Knocked Out Of MARC By Rays