Eels knock off defending Premiers

v BYE

The Parramatta Eels have knocked off the defending Premiers with a 20-16 victory in front of 12194 delighted fans at Pirtek Stadium tonight.

The match marked the club debut of prize recruit Kieran Foran who missed the season opener with a hamstring injury last week.

After the home team added first points through a penalty goal to fullback Michael Gordon early on, both teams struggled with their ball control in the opening quarter of the match. 

The visitors would be the first team to cross the stripe when back-rower Ethan Lowe ran onto a beautiful short ball from his skipper Johnathan Thurston to score in the 18th minute. Thurston added the extra to give the Cowboys a 6-2 lead.

The Eels would soon hit back though. Following a strong run down the right edge by hard-man Beau Scott, hooker Nathan Peats burrowed his way across the line to score in the 22nd minute. Gordon added the extras from out wide to edge his team in front by two.

If the Peats try didn't swing the momentum in the home team's favor, the entry of interchange forward Kenny Edwards into the contest did. Edwards proved a constant menace on the right edge and was rewarded with a try on the stroke of half-time with some neat footwork at the line seeing him slice through and sends his side into the sheds with a handy eight point buffer.

The Cowboys clawed their way back into the match in the second stanza after interchange prop Scott Bolton broke the line in the 49th minute. From the ensuing play the ball Thurston needed little invitation in sending the ball wide for centre Justin O'Neill to crash over and reduce the deficit to four.

Another penalty goal from Gordon soon after send the Eels six clear, but it was a try in the 63rd minute to centre Brad Takairangi that proved the telling blow. After re entering the fray, front-rower Junior Paulo showed some good skill on the edge laying on a short ball for his centre to storm through a gap and send the lead back out to ten.

The Cowboys got a glimmer of hope when lock Jason Taumololo barged over at the death and a super quick conversion from Thurston stopped the clock with 30 seconds to play. 

It was all to no avail though with the Eels scrambling defence shutting down the Cowboys final attacking raid.

The win may have have come at a cost with Nathan Peats suffering a possibly sprained elbow late in the match.

Next week, the Cowboys will have a short turnaround before hosting the Sydney Roosters at 1300Smiles Stadium on Thursday night, whilst the Eels will head to ANZ Stadium the following night to lock horns with the in form Canterbury Bulldogs.