Round 7 of the BRL A Grade In Safe Hands Cup produced another thriller with the Magpies defeating the Diehards 17-16 at Bishop Park.
A late field goal to Magpies skipper Lane Ferling secured just their second win of the season, coincidentally both of which have now come against the defending champion Diehards.
It was a hard-earned win for the Magpies who had to compete from the first minute until the last and coach Steve Bretherton was pleased with that effort.
"Something we had talked about over the last few weeks (is that) the competition is that close we are not going to blow oppositions' off the park," he said. "So, we have to be prepared to work hard.
"I feel we have been doing that. Most games of footy we have done it in periods where as our last two weeks we have worked hard for the whole game, and I think we have turned the corner by doing that."
Both sides threatened, but Valleys would be the only side to cross for a four pointer in the first half.
It was a grubber to the blindside by Alex Bishop for halfback Jack Miers who won the race to score and give Valley's a six-point lead which they carried to the break.
Souths got on the board five minutes after the restart, with a 70m journey down the left wing.
Second rower Aleki Falepaini motored 40 of those metres before offloading to five-eighth Sato Ketia-Opo. A Sydney Harbour pass out to Lenny Magey finished off an exciting try.
The Magpies took the lead five minutes later thanks to a brilliant solo effort from Ketia-Opo who showed some razzle-dazzle to score from 20 metres out.
Valleys hit back to draw level when Brett Doherty scored a brilliant solo try of his own, but it was short-lived momentum for Valleys as an error from the restart put the Magpies right back on the attack.
A grubber on the last tackle and the elegant diving skills of prop forward Jordan Mago resulted in a try right in front giving the Magpies a 16-10 lead with fifteen minutes left on the clock.
Valleys, as they have done in the past, mounted a late charge. Again, the grubber into the in goal produced results as Brett Doherty waited for the ball to sit adequately to level the scores with ten minutes to go.
But it was the Magpies day and a wobbly field goal from Lane Ferling was enough to secure their second win of the year.
"The field goal was only 20 out, if he (Ferling) had of missed it I would have been into him," Bretherton joked after the game.
Elsewhere, the Panthers held off a fast finishing Tigers to win 20-16 and remain at the top of the table, while Redcliffe went back-to-back with a 28-14 win over the Seagulls.
Round 7 results
Dolphins 28 (Josh Beehag 2, Trai Fuller, Obed Kahwin, Jake Sparey, Tauaalo Vaipulu tries; Reece Braun goal, Josh Beehag goal) defeated Seagulls 14 (Kalolo Saitaua 2, Mitch McMillan tries; Jacob Tonge goal)
Panthers 20 (Sam Collins 2, Mitch Hallinan, Zach Strasser tries; Kane Zalewski 2 goals) defeated Tigers 14 (Delroy Berryman, Anton Iaria, Jarred Tuite tries; Harry Pondekas goal)
Magpies 17 (Lenny Magey, Sato Ketia-Opo, Jordon Mago tries; Brad Frith 2 goals, Lane Ferling field goal) defeated Diehards 16 (Brett Doherty 2, Jack Miers tries; Jack Miers 2 goals)
* John Devine is the BRL A Grade correspondent for the QRL
