The Queanbeyan Kangaroos didn't do enough to deserve the two points, but in the end they were unlucky not to get them.
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So thought Kangaroos coach Aaron Gorrell after his young side bounced back from 16 points down with 23 minutes remaining to snatch an unlikely draw.
It meant the clash with crosstown rivals Queanbeyan Blues finished 28-all at Seiffert Oval on Saturday.
The Blues looked set for a convincing win after a dominant first three quarters only to see their lead and the top of the Canberra Raiders Cup ladder slip through their fingers.
Tries to Isaiah Latu, Jake Wheeler and Aidan Woods got the Blues off to a blistering start to set up a 16-0 lead.
The Kangaroos finally got on the board in the 25th minute when the Blues bombed a Tre Williams high bomb.
First their fullback Matthew Cole completely misjudged it, then their winger couldn't pick it up to allow Bryan Cronan to swoop and score against the run of play.
The Kangaroos crossed again soon after for Jayden Baxter to barge over from close range, before an Ilija Cotric try on the stroke of half-time made it 22-12 at the break.
When Blues halfback Zach Patch dummied his way through for a try to make it 28-12 it seemingly looked over.
"[The Blues] did exactly what we thought they were going to do, but we weren't bothered to have a bit of an effort to try and stop it," Kangaroos coach Aaron Gorrell said.
"If we can play for 60 minutes I think we'll be pretty hard to beat."
But the Kangaroos weren't dead just yet - although Gorrell felt they had every right to be.
Any other team would have been beaten by 50.
But he was happy with how they responded in the final 20 minutes to come back into the contest.
He said there were a raft of players who led the charge, including Lachlan Ingram off the bench, Baxter and Josh Ayers.
Gorrell also said Jeremiah Simbiken has shown himself to be a "genuine first-grader" after only a "handful of games".
Kangaroos winger Eli Sinoti scored off a Lachlan Cooper kick, then Simbiken was over before Cronan scored his second to level the scores.
"When they scored their last try I think most sides would've just rolled over and got beaten by 50, but credit to them they clawed their way back," Gorrell said.
"We probably didn't deserve two points [for the win], but in the end we were probably unlucky not to get them."
The Kangaroos will be bolstered by the arrival of former Canberra Raiders winger Reece Robinson when the competition resumes after the Easter Break.
Gorrell was still unsure how he would bring the former NRL and Super Rugby player into his line-up.
"I didn't want to throw him in underdone. He was at training this week," he said.
Reigning premiers Woden Valley went to the top of the ladder with a 26-10 victory over a winless Belconnen United, while West Belconnen got their first win of the season with a 60-18 thrashing of Gungahlin.
Goulburn play Yass at Goulburn to complete the round on Sunday.
AT A GLANCE
Queanbeyan Blues 28 (I Latu, J Wheeler, A Woods, I Cotric, Z Patch tries; T Campese 4 goals) dw Queanbeyan Kangaroos 28 (B Cronan 2, J Baxter, E Sinoti, J Simbiken tries; L Cooper 4 goals); Woden Valley Rams 26 (T Evans, L Eveston, M Geiger, J Morgan, L Withers tries; L Withers 3 goals) bt Belconnen United Sharks 10 (M Woolnough, M Butz tries; T Aroha-Tuinauvai goals); West Belconnen Warriors 60 d Gungahlin Bulls 18.