Raiders 26 Warriors 24
KEY POINTS:
Canberra has been something of a graveyard for the Warriors and they looked like they were at a funeral when the final whistle went.
The Warriors haven't won in the Australian capital since 1997 but it looked like they had righted that when they led by 10 points with 12 minutes to play.
But the Raiders are made of stern stuff at Canberra Stadium and threw everything at the visitors to claim their seventh win at home this season.
Scott Logan scored with three minutes remaining to seal the win and ensure it will be a tough ask for the Warriors to grab a top-four finish and a home semifinal.
The Warriors were the hottest of favourites before kickoff. In fact, Charles Dickens could have written a variation on The Tale Of Two Cities, such was the difference in circumstances between the two sides.
Going into the match, the Warriors had won seven of their last nine and were packing out Mt Smart Stadium, while the Raiders had lost seven of nine and couldn't muster much of a crowd.
But the Raiders are a different beast at home. Certainly different to the one thumped 52-4 by the Bulldogs in Sydney last weekend.
They started energetically, as the Warriors battled to get out of their own half and looked threatening through the likes of Neville Costigan and Todd Carney.
Typically strong Warriors defence, however, kept their line intact before they finally rolled up the other end and got what they hoped would be the show on the road.
Of course, Dickens would have written a major role for winger Michael Crockett and it was the player who was last week charged with sexual assault who opened the scoring.
All he had to do was merely flop on the ball after his opposite Brett Kelly rather comically allowed the ball to roll between his legs in-goal.
Crockett, though, had a difficult remainder of the half, as the Raiders found space down his wing and Kelly atoned for his earlier mistake with a first-half hat-trick.
The home side, through tricky half Carney, took advantage of the Warriors' narrow defence and Kelly was the chief beneficiary. His third try was a gem, a lovely chip and gather four minutes before the break.
The Raiders looked the more dangerous side as the Warriors struggled to find fluency in attack and the sort of intensity they need at this stage of the season.
The offloading was largely kept tucked in the suitcase and all three of their first-half tries came from kicks.
Manu Vatuvei climbed high to claim a Nathan Fien chip and Epalahame Lauaki swallowed up a Vatuvei slap-down.
Only Michael Witt's stupendous goalkicking was the difference on the scoreboard.
Ivan Cleary's side could have done with Wade McKinnon. Todd Byrne did nothing wrong but he doesn't offer the same explosive attacking prowess as McKinnon.
The fullback travelled with the side and would have played if it was a big game but it was deemed better to give him more time to recover from his ankle injury with more important matches on the horizon.
Mercifully, the game shifted up a gear in the second spell as the intensity lifted and both sides gave the ball more air.
It was the sort of game that had served the Warriors well over the past two months and, but for some messy ends to their sets, they would have extended their lead sooner.
As soon as Fien pounced on a Tom Learoyd-Lahrs mistake on his own line, the Warriors might have thought they had broken the home side.
But they kept hammering away in the cold conditions, forcing the Warriors to scramble in defence, and the pressure finally told as Carney deservedly crossed beside the posts with 10 minutes to play.
It raised Canberra hopes and the Warriors were forced to defend set after set. The pressure finally told and Logan burst over to grab the unlikely win.
Next Sunday's visit of Manly takes on even more importance, with only two weeks of the regular season remaining. They will hope that is more heartwarming than heartbreaking.
Raiders 26 (B. Kelly 3, T. Carney, S. Logan tries, Carney 3 gls) Warriors 24 (M. Crockett, M. Vatuvei, E Lauaki, N. Fien tries, M. Witt 4 gls). HT: 14-18.
The Auckland Lions' playoffs aspirations were dealt a blow when they went down 36-10 to Canberra last night. They had started the night two points outside the top eight on the back of four straight wins.
