Eels secure third straight win

Parramatta got their season well and truly back on track after rolling to a third straight win with a 27-14 NRL victory over local rivals Penrith at CUA Stadium tonight.

In a match saw that the lead and momentum swing from one side to the other throughout, the Eels prevailed after coming from behind to post a strong four-tries-to-two win, Luke Burt the star with 18 points from two tries and five goals.

The two sides were tied at 14-14 on the hour before Burt busted the game open with his second long range try of the night, a Feleti Mateo in and away sending Ben Smith away before he set up the fullback for an easy run to the line.

The Eels sealed the win via an unlikely source when Ian Hindmarsh potted over the first field goal of his career to put the visitors up 21-14 before finishing up a strong game with a try in the dying stages.

The mood was set from the opening tackle when a Timana Tahu shoulder charge flattened Panthers prop Frank Puletua, before a pair of soft penalties resulted in a 2-2 scoreboard after ten minutes.

There was nothing meek about about Parramatta's next attacking raid with the Eels going 70 metres for Luke Burt to go over under the posts.

The play started with a magic Tim Smith long ball which allowed Tahu to get on the outside of Luke Lewis, the rugby union-bound centre finding Jarryd Hayne who in-turn fed the ball inside for Burt to outpace Michael Gordon to score.

A penalty against Joel Clinton for a play the ball infringement gave the Eels another opportunity on the Panthers' line and Smith again put it on a platter for Burt to score, but the in-form fullback was denied a second by the video referee for a bobble as he touched down.

It was a crucial call because what could have been a 14-2 lead was instead 8-6 a minute later - good vision from Rhys Wesser giving Gordon an easy run to the line.

It got even worse for the visitors in the 24th minute when Wesser capitalised on a clever Frank Pritchard ball to cross out wide, the Panthers with all the running and a 12-8 lead.

Having lost their composure following the denied try to Burt, the Eels worked their way back into the game.

The recovery coincided with the introduction of Fuifui Moimoi, the rugged Tongan prop giving the Eels plenty of go-forward with several tough runs and smart offloads.

They finally converted when a Smith inside ball put Nathan Hindmarsh over, the Test backrower backing up his double from last week with another four-pointer.

Down 14-12, the Panthers rejected a shot at goal just before the break but showed more common sense after it, Gordon converting after Eric Grothe was penalised while in possession 10 metres out from his own line in the 54th minute.