For the second week in a row the Goannas had to come from behind to claim victory, but unlike the previous outing against the Hastings Vikings, this time the match was on tenterhooks from the get go.

Goannas opened the scoring just minutes after the kick-off with a fine try to winger Jason Silvia.

Superb lead-up play by the Goannas backline left Silvia with the simple task of diving over in the corner.

Tim Wilson kept his impressive goal kicking record intact and converted from the sideline to give the home side a seven-point buffer, but the Crabs responded almost immediately.

At 7-5 the match turned into a battle of attrition, with both sides plagued by handling errors. Coffs was dominating at the breakdown and the set pieces, but the class of the Goannas backline was proving difficult to handle.

Max Duncan crossed for Bowraville’s second and Wilson had no difficulty adding the extras to give the side a 14-5 lead.

A mistake close to the Goannas line soon saw the Crabs hit back through a pushover try from the ensuing scrum and Bowraville’s lead was again cut to just two points.

Time and again the side was penalised for infringements at the breakdown and the Crabs took advantage of their superiority in the scrum to score a second pushover try.

Eventually the Bowraville pack found its feet and some good lead up play in the centre of the field saw fullback Scott Rouse cross out wide.

Wilson missed the conversion and the game was teetering on a knife edge at 19-all with barely 10 minutes remaining.

Coffs had a chance to take a three-point lead with around five to go, but the kick was waved away.

With the full-time siren imminent, Duncan was able to latch onto a cross field bomb from the boot of fly-half Nathan Grace and plant the ball over the line for the win.

Duncan continued his superb season with a man of the match performance, ably assisted by a returning Adam Power.

Grace was solid in his second match at five-eighth while the class of the back three of Elliot Keen, Silvia and Rouse proved the difference between the two sides.

Up front Shaun Koeppen led the pack with distinction while Tim Wilson showed his versatility by switching comfortably between the back of the scrum and hooker.

The Goannas meet Coffs Uni in Coffs Harbour this Saturday in the season’s second last match.