A Josh Reynolds field goal in the 84th minute has secured the Bulldogs a 21-20 win over the Gold Coast Titans in a golden point thriller on Saturday afternoon.
The five-eighth's field goal from 35 metres out was just the fourth of his career and it prevented the Bulldogs from the embarrassment of consecutive second-half collapses after last week's loss to the Warriors.
Tyrone Roberts' two wayward attempts to steal the game with a field goal of his own will be lamented by Gold Coast fans as the absence of halfback Ashley Taylor was felt by the visitors, with the Titans falling to their fourth straight loss.
The Bulldogs were up 14-8 at half-time and pushed ahead to a 12-point lead in the 53rd minute when a slick Reynolds ball helped Josh Jackson through a gaping hole in the Titans' defence to score his first try of the season.
Greg Bird's return from an earlier concussion test provided instant dividends when his cut-out ball to David Mead – his first touch upon returning to the field – helped the Titans to their second try in the 63rd minute.
The Titans would level the ledger for the second time in the game come the 71st minute when Reynolds' attempt at batting back a Moses Mbye kick ended up in Josh Hoffman's hands who had enough pace to run the 75 metres necessary to score.
Field goal efforts in the final five minutes by Roberts and Mbye were charged down while centre Josh Morris's crack at stealing the headlines went the closest in the final 30 seconds of regular time.
Reynolds' successful field goal shot to steal the game came four minutes into extra time just one minute after Roberts' close efforts a minute earlier was waved away.
Bulldogs coach Des Hasler praised Reynolds' ability to produce the match-winning play after his error had led to Hoffman's try.
"That was a gutsy play. He would've been very lonely out there at one stage but he held it together and came up with the big play when he had to," Hasler said.
It was all rosy for the Titans earlier on when they posted first points in the ninth minute when a perfectly delayed pass from playmaker Cameron Cullen sent Zeb Taia over for his fifth try of the year.
The Bulldogs hit back five minutes later when quick hands from Tony Williams and Morris allowed Curtis Rona enough space to score.
They'd hit the lead in the 25th minute when winger Sam Perrett pulled off a miraculous one-handed diving pick up from a Josh Reynolds three-man cut-out ball to cross in the corner.
Roberts's penalty goal in the 34th minute tied the game up at 8-all but Will Hopoate's try under the posts two minutes later would afford the Bulldogs a 14-8 lead at half-time. It was a lead they would only just hold on to in the end.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 21 (Curtis Rona, Sam Perrett, Will Hopoate, Josh Jackson tries; Kerrod Holland 2 goals; Josh Reynolds field goal) defeated Gold Coast Titans 20 (Zeb Taia, David Mead, Josh Hoffman tries; Tyrone Roberts 4 goals) at ANZ Stadium. Crowd: 11,450. Half-time: Bulldogs 14-8.
