Star's 'x-factor' seals thriller; Cowboy's big 'statement' as Panthers ...

The Cowboys have escaped with a 27-23 win in golden point thriller against the Panthers with Scott Drinkwater coming up with the matchwinning try.

It was all Penrith in the first half, before an inspired Cowboys outfit staged a second half comeback to lock scores up with 18 minutes to go.

Chad Townsend slotted a field goal before Jack Cogger responded in the final minute to send the game into golden point.

MATCH CENTRE: Cowboys vs Panthers live score, stats, video

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After no points in the first five-minute block, the two teams went again. The ball found itself in Drinkwater’s hands with two minutes left and he ran around some tired Panthers players to score.

It came after a red-hot start from the Panthers, who took just two minutes to strike when fill-in halfback Jack Cogger put a cross-field kick up for Izack Tago, who later crossed for a second too.

The Cowboys showed some class when they scored two tries in seven minutes with Tom Dearden setting up the first and scoring the second.

But the Panthers snatched an eight-point lead when stand-in five-eighth Jaeman Salmon crossed. He had a hand in their next try too as Tom Jenkins crossed in what was his second NRL game.

The Cowboys came out of the half-time break hungry as they scored two crucial tries to lock up the scores.

19-year-old rookie Kulikefu Finefeuiaki crossed for his first NRL try before one of the game’s best finishers in Kyle Feldt planted the ball down in the corner.

Townsend and Cogger nailed their field goals before Drinkwater sealed the result.

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DRINKWATER STUNS WITH MATCH-WINNING DOUBLE IN GOLDEN POINT EPIC

Scott Drinkwater led the Cowboys to a thrilling golden point win over the Panthers with a superb double, including the match winning try in the 90th minute.

Drinkwater finished with 145 metres, seven tackle busts, a linebreak and two tries, which proved the difference in a thrilling finish to an enthralling contest.

Shane Flanagan lauded Drinkwater’s big-moment mentality and ability to come up with the right option after he ran the ball on the last play of the night to avoid a draw.

“Two brilliant plays the first try to Drinkwater and then the matchwinner was just outstanding,” Flanagan said.

“He had a great game. They got into field position because of the error. The last play from Townsend to Dearden and then across to Drinkwater.

“He was just too fast against a tiring Panthers defence. He got on the outside of Sorensen.

“He is a tryscorer. He loves space and he loves the big moments.”

Fox League expert Michael Ennis believes Drinkwater’s ability to seize the moment and chance his arm was the difference between the sides in a tense finish.

“That was absolutely not the plan, but in Scott Drinkwater style the X-factor,” he said.

“The gunslinger summed up the moment perfectly.

“Rushing out of the line was Turuva and it just created a staggered line and you just cannot give a guy like Scott Drinkwater a staggered line.

“He just cut them apart with his footwork and his speed and what a fitting moment for Drinkwater.

“He had a brilliant night. I thought him and Tom Dearden were absolutely outstanding tonight.”

RECALLED FELDT’S BIG COWBOYS ‘STATEMENT’

Veteran winger Kyle Feldt was left out of the Cowboys’ 17 in their Round 14 win over the Storm with new recruit Semi Valemei getting a start over him on the wing instead.

But with Murray Taulagi out on Origin duty, Feldt was recalled into the line-up and produced a performance that will make it very hard for coach Todd Payten to overlook him again.

With just under 20 minutes to go, the Cowboys were trailing 22-18 until Feldt came up with his signature finish – planting the ball down just millimetres in from the sideline to lock up the scores.

The 31-year-old finished the game with a try assist, two linebreaks, four tackle busts and a team-high of 232 running metres to go with his stunning try.

Fox League expert Greg Alexander singled Feldt out as one of the Cowboys’ best and questioned how Payten can leave him out of the 17 going forward.

“I thought Kyle Feldt, who looks like he was dropped (in the Cowboys’ last game)… How could you possibly leave a player like Kyle Feldt out of the team?” he said at full-time.

“I know Murray Taulagi is a State of Origin winger but Kyle Feldt was enormous tonight. The work that he did in the last 25 minutes of the game, dragging the Cowboys forward, scoring a remarkable try that Kyle Feldt is renowned for.

“It’ll be interesting to see what (Payten) does with Feldt because I thought he was close to the Cowboys’ best player tonight.”

Alexander put the question to former Cowboy Brent Tate, who said some of Feldt’s charges were “inspirational.”

He also revealed his Round 14 axing was a “reality check” but suspects Friday’s performance will send a “message” to Payten.

“Sometimes you need a bit of a reality check, you’re not doing some of the little things in the game right and I think that’s probably been Kyle Feldt’s season thus far,” he said.

“But I think he made a real statement here tonight, showing the coach he wants his position back.

“He is a wonderful player — not too many players can finish off the try that he scored. Maybe those last 20 minutes will send a message up to coaches box to Todd Payten.”

PANTHERS’ PRODUCTION LINE PUT TO THE TEST

The State of Origin period is always a big test for the Panthers depth and Friday was no different.

Penrith’s production line of talent looked like a well-oiled machine in the first half against the Cowboys as the new-look side shot out to a 20-12 lead before the break with Jaeman Salmon particularly standing up at five-eighth.

But as coach Ivan Cleary said, lack of resilience in defence and crucial errors opened the door for a hungry Cowboys side to stage a comeback that the inexperienced Panthers couldn’t keep up with.

Cleary admitted it was a “disappointing loss” but believes it was a “good lesson” for the players that filled in.

Penrith were without Jarome Luai, Brian To’o, Stephen Crichton and Liam Martin due to Origin, Nathan Cleary is out through injury and Moses Leota missed the game for the birth of his child.

The likes of Jaeman Salmon, Jack Cogger, Tom Jenkins and Liam Henry filled the gaps.

“I thought we were in a position to win that game, (but) we opened the door in various ways,” Cleary conceded.

“We obviously got what we got in the end. But I thought at 22-12 we just offered up opportunities and just weren’t resilient enough. Defensively that’s not what we’re really about so I was disappointed with that.”

“There’s no question about our effort and some young guys came up with some really good stuff tonight. But as a group, as a club, we pride ourselves on resilience in defence and just not offering up opportunities.

“It’s a good lesson for those guys but a disappointing loss.”

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TEAMS

Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Zac Laybutt 4. Peta Hiku 5. Semi Valemei 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Jake Granville 10. Coen Hess 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Heilum Luki 16. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown 13. Jason Taumalolo 14. Sam McIntyre 15. Griffin Neame 17. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 18. Brendan Elliot

Panthers: 1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Tyrone Peachey 5. Thomas Jenkins 6. Jaeman Salmon 7. Jack Cogger 16. Spencer Leniu 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Zac Hosking 13. Matt Eisenhuth 14. Soni Luke 15. Lindsay Smith 17. Luke Garner 19. Liam Henry 18. Jack Cole