NRL: Late Sandow kick has golden touch

Chris Sandow. Photo / Getty Images

Rabbitohs 21

Roosters 20

They have the longest-running rivalry in the game, and needed extra time to sort out the latest instalment.

It was worth it, as Chris Sandow kicked the drop goal of his life to win the game in the 87th minute, nailing the angled one-pointer from halfway that crept over the cross bar.

Souths had trailed for most of the match but a Greg Inglis try with five minutes on the clock sent the match into golden point.

With this win Souths remain in touching distance of the playoffs, while the Roosters' hopes are all but over.

This clash was the 203rd encounter between the two.

Before this game the men from Redfern had lost five of their last seven, and haven't won more than two in a row all season. They have a depleted pack - with Roy Asotasi, Sam Burgess and Dave Taylor among the missing - but their replacements stepped up manfully.

The Roosters opened the scoring through Kane Linnett, pouncing on a precise Mitchell Pearce grubber in the 7th minute. Isaac Luke dummied and stepped his way over from close range seven minutes later, before Pearce claimed another try assist with a delayed pass to Shaun Kenny-Dowell in his 100th NRL game. Dylan Farrell gave Souths the perfect start to the second half with a strong try, before Sam Perrett scored after a dazzling play from the Roosters that featured no less than three flick passes. Perrett's second gave the Roosters the lead, before Inglis' late effort.

Rabbitohs: 21 (I. Luke, D. Farrell, G. Inglis tries; I. Luke, C. Sandow 3 gls, dg)

Roosters: 20 (K. Linnett, S. Kenny-Dowall, S. Perrett 2 tries; T. Carney 2 gls).

Halftime: 6-10.