A last-minute try to Joe McGuire saw Valleys Diehards defeat Souths Logan Magpies 30-28 and secure second place in a thrilling In Safe Hands Cup clash.
With just one minute left on the clock, Valleys went to Jack Miers on the last tackle who grubbered into the in-goal as McGuire thundered through to get his hands to the ball first.
Miers converted after the siren for a remarkable win, Valleys’ fourth in succession.
Souths Logan, who are already out of finals contention, have made it a habit to come out full of running in recent weeks and they did just that as Kallum Gulliver-Brown pounced on a Hayden O’Hara in-goal grubber to put first points on the board.
The Magpies were in again when half Josh Bowyer sent a cross field bomb up. It had pinpoint accuracy and came down right on the line for the high-flying Cameron Booth to pluck from the skies to give the home side a 10-0 lead.
Valleys got their first points after some slick passing to the left for centre Mathew McCouat to dive over.
The Diehards went over once more thanks to a set play close to the line starting with Miers at dummy half. He fired it right to Simon Brittain-Snowden who turned it back inside to the rampaging Brad Frith to touch down.
Jonty Hansen ran 60 metres minutes before halftime after Ethan Richards drew the defence and created the gap giving the Diehards a 12-10 lead.
The Magpies were quick to respond in the second half, as Jacob Alick went for a destructive run from inside his own ten metre line.
He muscled his way to the 40 and then found the speed of Bowyer who scooted off to score under the posts and put Souths Logan back in front 16-12.
It was a short-lived lead for the Magpies, as Valleys went back-to-back with tries to Matt Gill and Ethan Richards putting the visitors back in front 24-16.
With just two players on the bench and their season effectively already over, the Magpies managed to lift.
A superb carry to the defensive line by Kobe Tararo started a left-hand backline onslaught ending in a magical flick pass from Booth to send Shaquilla Gafa over.
With 13 minutes to go, Souths Logan fullback Brandon Roberts weaved his way through to the try line and the Pies were back in front 26-24.
A penalty goal with less than four minutes on the clock took their lead out to four points, before McGuire’s miracle try gave Valleys a last-minute escape and a two-point victory.
Other Round 19 results saw West Brisbane wrap up the 2019 minor premiership with a 28-24 win over Easts Tigers, while Redcliffe ensured their fight for the top-four will extend all the way until the final round with a 30-26 win over Wynnum Manly Seagulls.
It was a reversal of their previous meeting, where the Dolphins led at halftime only to be run down in the second half. This time it was the Dolphins who turned a 18-6 deficit into a 30-26 win thanks to a last-minute Sam Leach try.
Redcliffe need to win their Round 20 clash with Valleys and rely on Easts beating the Seagulls in order to sneak into fourth spot and qualify for the finals.
In Safe Hands Cup Round 19 results
Redcliffe Dolphins 30 (Oscar Carter 2, Corban Daniels 2, Sam Leach tries Faitotoa Faitotoa goal, Oscar Carter 4 goals) def Wynnum Manly Seagulls 26 (Edwin Ipape 2, Rashaun Denny, Semisi Ahoafi tries Liam Jones 5 goals)
West Brisbane Panthers 28 (Jordan Brown 2, Campbell Mohr, Khan Ahwang, Keelyn Tuuta tries Khan Ahwang 4 goals) def Easts Tigers 24 (Keenan Yorston, Nathan Brown, Tevita Wolske, Jack Peoples, William Samuel tries Nathan Brown 2 goals)
Valleys Diehards 30 (Dylan Tavita 2, Jonty Hansen, Joe McGuire, Brad Frith, Mathew McCouat tries Jack Miers goal, Ethan Richards 2 goals) def Souths Logan Magpies 28 (Brandon Roberts, Shaquille Gafa, Josh Bowyer, Cameron Booth, Kallum Gulliver-Brown tries Haydyn O’Hara 4 goals)
Ladder
| Pos | Team | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Brisbane Panthers | 103 | 49 |
| 2 | Valleys Diehards | 96 | 45 |
| 3 | Easts Tigers | 40 | 37 |
| 4 | Wynnum Manly Seagulls | -7 | 35 |
| 5 | Redcliffe Dolphins | -29 | 33 |
| 6 | Souths Logan Magpies | -203 | 29 |
