The Magpies fell agonisingly short in Round 21, going down 19-16 to the Jets at Richardson Park in a match that came down to the final ten minutes.
Ipswich made the most of home advantage early, with Julian Christian and Luke Sommerton crossing either side of the 20-minute mark to have the Jets out to a 12-0 lead, with Brenton Baira converting both. The Magpies weathered the early pressure and hit the ground running after the break, with Anthony Milford diving over just after halftime and Jesse Arthars adding the extras to get the visitors on the board. Mitchell Owen backed it up minutes later to bring the Magpies level at 12-12, before Maika Poese put the Magpies in front for the first time, 18-16, midway through the second half, a passage of play made all the sweeter after the Jets had a man in the bin, with Ken Maumalo sin-binned for a late tackle.
Ipswich responded through Arama Hau to snatch the lead back at 16-12, and after Baira's conversion the margin sat at 18-12 before the Magpies hit back through Poese to make it 18-16 with 15 minutes to play. From there it was a nervous finish, with Dion Teaupa slotting a field goal in the 74th minute to push the Jets out to a 19-16 lead that ultimately proved the difference at full time.
It was a gutsy road performance from the Magpies, who were down 12-0 inside the opening 25 minutes but clawed their way back into it with three second-half tries to level the ladder table and put real pressure on the home side, ultimately undone by a single point in a match that could easily have gone either way.
Join us next Sunday at Davies Park to celebrate Mitch Cronin Memorial Cup and cheer on your Magpies at their last home game of the season!