![Canberra Raiders centre Matthew Timoko scored two tries for his team in their 34-26 victory over the Dragons at WIN Stadium on Friday night. Picture by Matt King/Getty Images Canberra Raiders centre Matthew Timoko scored two tries for his team in their 34-26 victory over the Dragons at WIN Stadium on Friday night. Picture by Matt King/Getty Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/kZL4qV6yTxfrWZJxKQxjSN/6f89e67f-8113-42ca-9811-ca4e3d244ff9.jpg/r0_97_4872_2847_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The Canberra Raiders heaped more misery on the struggling Dragons with a 36-26 victory at WIN Stadium on Friday night.
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But St George Illawarra can take heart from a much improved performance from recent weeks, especially in the second half.
Trailing 24-6 at halftime, the Dragons were only four points behind with just over 15 minutes left in the game.
But every time it looked like the Dragons were making a run, the Raiders responded in kind and after 72 minutes led 36-26.
The Dragons' 13th loss of the season was compounded by an injury to halfback Jayden Sullivan, who limped off with a hamstring injury.
Paul Turner, playing his first game for the Red V, also came off injured, following a knee to the back.
This forced a reshuffle in the backline, with Zac Lomax moving to fullback midway through the second half.
At one stage in the second half the Dragons were down to 14 available players after Jacob Liddle had to come off due to HIA injury.
Lomax finished with 14 points for the match, courtesy of two tries and three goals.
His right-edge partnership with Mikaele Ravalawa was a highlight, with the winger scoring a hat-trick of tries.
But there looked just one winner in the early exchanges after the Raiders raced out to an 18-0 lead after 25 minutes of the game.
The Raiders were first to score after just 10 minutes.
Canberra winger Jordan Rapana crashed over for the try but the opportunity only presented itself after a great run by gun centre Matthew Timoko.
He made a strong run down the Dragons' left edge before finding Jamal Fogarty backing up. The halfback was tackled short of the line.
The next play the Raiders found Rapana on the short side and he did the rest.
Canberra soon crossed again after Joseph Tapine beat four defenders and ran 20 metres unopposed.
Timoko then beat two defenders and ran over the top of first-gamer Paul Turner to cross for the Raiders third try in the 24th minute.
Timoko was a constant threat in attack but Raiders coach Ricky Stuart was particularly impressed with his defence, praising him after the match.
"I thought Elliot Whitehead, Jamal [Fogarty] and Matty with Rapa [Jordan Rapana] on that right edge, I thought defensively they were very good tonight," Stuart said.
With the game slipping away, the Dragons hit back with a try to Mikaele Ravalawa, who barged over from dummy half in the 33rd minute.
Good work from Jayden Sullivan down Canberra's right edge put Mathew Feagai through before the winger was tackled 10 metres out.
Three plays later and St George Illawarra were in to reduce the deficit to 18-6.
But the Raiders went to halftime 24-6 up after a kick through by Jamal Fogarty hit the posts and bounced into the hands of a grateful Matt Frawley who dived under the posts to cross for Canberra's fourth try of the half.
Perhaps the highlight of the half for Dragons' supporters was the try celebration mocking the Johnny Bairstow cricket dismissal - by the Raiders after Jordan Rapana crossed for the visitors first four pointer.
St George Illawarra though looked like they would over-ran Canberra in the second half and were just four points behind with just over 15 minutes to go after Mikaele Ravalawa crossed for his third try of the match.
It was the Dragons third try in the space of eight minutes.
St George Illawarra came out of the sheds the better side and scored a try just three minutes into the second term after Jarrod Crocker dropped a Moses Mbye bomb after he was tackled by Ravalawa, which Lomax picked up and dove in to score.
Lomax though missed the conversion.
The Dragons then had another chance to score after Billy Burns put the home side in a good attacking position.
But Canberra did well to hold out the Dragons, who enjoyed three repeat sets close to the Raiders line but could not find any points.
Canberra made them pay a couple of minutes later when Matthew Timoko crossed for his second try to take the Raiders to a 30-10 lead after 50 minutes.
Dragons interim-coach Ryan Carr said he was proud of his team's performance.
"I'm super proud of our effort and how we kept fighting and going after the game. It's probably something we've been guilty of in the past couple of weeks, just going out of the game and especially towards the back end," he said.
"The boys stuck to the process and continued to chase the game and...we just played some really good controlled footy and stuck to the plan. So I was pleased with that effort.
"I was pleased with the mentality from us tonight but not thrilled with our defence.
"It's still a huge area of work for us and we've gotta keep building on that.
"That's not an overnight fix. We've gotta keep chasing that and trying to get better."
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