Match Details
Match Date	21st Aug, 2011
Opponent	Manly
Result	Loss 16-27
Coach	Jim Dymock
Captain	Andrew Ryan
Venue	Brookvale Oval
Crowd	12,250
Referee	Jason Robinson Gerard Sutton

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have been left to rue missed opportunities following a spirited 27-16 loss to Manly at Brookvale Oval.

The Bulldogs led 10-7 at half time in a match full of highlights, however they ultimately squandered too much ball in scoring situations against a second placed Sea Eagles side that is undefeated at their home ground this season.

Compounding the pain for the Bulldogs was a lower leg injury suffered late in the first half by halfback Trent Hodkinson, who played all over wunderkind opposite Daly Cherry-Evans in the opening forty.

Hodkinson started the second half only to go off minutes later, he will have scans on Monday to determine the exact nature and extent of the injury.

The Bulldogs had the first scoring opportunity of the match when Aiden Tolman put Ben Barba into a gap after 12 minutes, the fullback in turn finding Josh Morris who was pulled down just short after appearing certain to score.

It would ultimately set something of a tone for a match.

Instead of the visitors it was the Sea Eagles that opened the scoring on 16 minutes with Jamie Lyon slipping a miracle ball to put David Williams away down the right hand touchline.

The winger touched down for Lyon to convert an make it 6-nil to the home side.

The Dogs could have easily scored three tries by the time they got their first, when Morris pounced on a beautifully placed Joel Romelo grubber to reduce the gap to two at 6-4.

Manly was playing to within millimetres of the rules as the Dogs kept up the pressure, with Steve Matai called out for a trip on David Stagg in the lead up to the Morris try, which was followed soon after by Kieran Foran being sent to the bin for tackling Stagg without the ball.

A Manly charge down on their own 40 bounced straight into the arms of Hodkinson, and the former Eagles half looked to put Stagg away just two metres out from the opposition tryline.

Foran, who had hold of Stagg from ten metres out, tackled the lock without the ball, earning himself a stint in the bin whilst at the same time somehow avoiding a penalty try.

The Dogs were unable to capitalise on their opportunities while Manly was a man down, and to make matters worse, Cherry-Evans potted a field goal as his halves partner returned to make it 7-4 to the home side.

Hodkinson suffered what was first thought to be a corked calf in the lead up to the field goal, the halfback breaking the line only to be dispossessed in the pickle by Michael Robertson.

However Jonathan Wright righted all wrongs with 40 seconds to play in the half, plucking an intercept before running away to score his side's second try.

Turner's conversion from in front gave the Dogs a 10-7 lead after a half in which they enjoyed 59 percent of possession.

The second half could not have started any worse for the Bulldogs, with Hodkinson limping from the field then Glenn Stewart pouncing on a bouncing ball in the in goal to nudge Manly back into the lead.

Lyon then scored, handing the home side a 19-10 buffer with 26 minutes to play.

With their finals hopes on the line the Dogs hit straight back through Ben Barba, who scored following a Manly knock on from the kick off.

Turner's conversion reduced the deficit to three at 19-16.

It was as close as they got, with Matai going from villain to hero for the home fans in the 66th minute, taking advantage of confusion in the tackle to slip the grasp of Josh Reynolds and Andrew Ryan before sprinting away to score.

Again Lyon converted, before adding an 80th minute penalty goal to further seal a 27-16 win.

The loss means the Dogs are now a mathematical chance only to make the finals, with two home games Saturday's beyondblue Cup clash with the Newcastle Knights, followed by the round 26 Andrew Ryan Farewell game against the Canberra Raiders still to play.

Source: AAP

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