IN a heart-pounding clash at Port Regional Stadium on Saturday, the Lake Cathie-Bonny Hills Raiders.

Under 13s achieved a thrilling victory against the formidable Taree Red Rovers.

The win propels them to a Grand Final matchup with the Wingham Tigers this Saturday at Wingham Sport Complex.

Led by the dynamic pairing of skipper Darby Moore and Jikyha Dungay Vitnell, the Raiders fought tooth and nail for the win.

Following tries by Moore (two), Dungay Vitnell (two) and Noah Colefax (one), the Raiders were locked at 24-24 with just two minutes left on the clock.

With tension mounting and time running out, it was Colefax who sealed the fate of the match with a decisive last minute try alongside the goal post.

Raiders captain Darby Moore expressed pride in the team’s performance, acknowledging the challenge posed by the Rovers and the “on-edge” nature of the match.

“I thought we were going to get away with the win at the start of the match as we came out strong, but it turned into a nail-biter at the end,” Moore told NOTA.

“It was great to see everyone enjoy themselves on the field, especially our halfback Max Formica.

“But wow, the win was just great.”

Moore also acknowledged the support of coaching staff Michael Nixon, Michael Moore and Peter O’Callaghan.

“Without them we wouldn’t be in the position we are right now,” he said.

Coach Nixon lauded the team’s unity and highlighted standout performances by Moore, Dungay Vitnell and Formica.

Justin Eagan’s defensive work was given special mention, as was Noah Colefax’s ability to put players into gaps.

“We have been working on our support play at training and it led to some awesome team tries today,” Nixon told NOTA.

“The scoresheet might only show the names of the boys that crossed the line but really all of the boys were involved with those tries.

“Everyone put in a 100 percent effort.”

In a parallel triumph, the Raiders tasted further success in the Under 14s competition.

Despite only having twelve players on the field and being down 14-4 early in the game, a Jude Stricker try in the closing minutes secured the team a place in the Grand Final this Sunday against the Taree Red Rovers.

The Lake Cathie-Bonny Hills JRLC is poised for an action-packed weekend, with four teams set to showcase their skills in Group 3 finals footy.

On Friday night, the Under 14s Girls League Tag team takes on the Port Breakers (Navy), while on Saturday the Under 13s boys do battle with the Wingham Tigers.

On Sunday the Under 14s take on Taree Red Rovers and the Under 15s play Forster Tuncurry.

By Kim AMBROSE