Raiders hoodoo haunts Dragons

Jarrod Croker ... shines for Canberra Raiders v St George Illawarra Dragons at Canberra Stadium. Source: Ray Strange / News Limited

Canberra Raiders have continued their home ground hoodoo with a much needed 30-17 victory over St George Illawarra at Canberra Stadium on Sunday night.

5 Tries 3
Reece Robinson 31'	Brett Morris 17'
Reece Robinson 43'	Daniel Vidot 48'
Jarrod Croker 52'	Nathan Fien 65'
Sandor Earl 60'
Jarrod Croker 77'
5 Conversions 2
Jarrod Croker 32'	Jamie Soward 49'
Jarrod Croker 45'	Jamie Soward 66'
Jarrod Croker 53'
Jarrod Croker 61'
Jarrod Croker 79'
0 Field Goals 1
	Jamie Soward 40'

Brett Morris opened the scoring for the visitors, diving in the corner to catch a cross-field kick from Nathan Fien.

It took half an hour for the Raiders to score and it came from a Blake Ferguson grubber kick which was grounded by Reece Robinson.

Unlike Jamie Soward’s attempted conversion, Jarrod Croker has no trouble kicking the goal to hit a two-point lead.

With the siren sounding for half time, Soward potted a field goal from 40 meters out to go into the break trailing by just one point.

The home side got the second half off with a bang, Robinson getting his second following a magical passage of play from Jack Wighton and Jarrod Croker.

Daniel Vidot scored against his old club in the 48th minute to reduce the deficit to just one point but three minutes later Croker crossed and converted his try.

Sandor Earl muscled his way across the line with 20 minutes left on the clock while Crokers goal furthered their lead 24-11.

A huge play from Trent Merrin saw Nathan Fien cross with 15 left on the clock and a Soward conversion made it seven points the difference.

Robinson sealed the Dragons fate, making a spectacular run before passing to Croker who sealed the victory.

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Brilliant Bale haunts Inter again

Europa League ... Steaua Bucharest's Raul Rusescu scores past a helpless Peter Cech. Source: Vadim Ghirda / AFP

Chelsea's indifferent form continued as a controversial penalty gave Steaua Bucharest a 1-0 victory in Romania over a distinctly off-colour Blues.

Chelsea weren't at the races from the word go, and found themselves behind just after the half-hour mark after to a hotly disputed penalty was given to the home side.

Ryan Bertrand was adjudged to have fouled dangerman Raul Rusescu as he went up for a header, and the top scorer in the Romania league got up to take the spot-kick himself, smashing the ball under Petr Cech.

Although they initially looking to have woken up after falling behind, Chelsea toiled away, but couldn't find that cutting edge all evening, and will have to do much better in the return leg at Stamford Bridge.

In Moscow, Anzhi Makhachkala and Newcastle United played out a dour goalless draw in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie in Moscow.

The game, played on the plastic pitch at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, struggled to ever get going on a freezing night in the Russian capital.

Toon boss Alan Pardew made seven changes from the side that lost at Swansea last weekend, with Hatem Ben Arfa making his first start since December after recovering from a hamstring injury

Anzhi boss Guus Hiddink named a strong line-up, with former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, Brazil international Willian and ex-Chelsea duo Yuri Zhirkov and Lassana Diarra in the side.

Read more: http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/283940/report

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