By MARK CASHMAN

The dream to make the playoffs is alive and well for Eastern Suburbs after their gritty 24-14 win over Northern Suburbs in blustery conditions on Saturday.

The Beasties came into this game in need of a win after what has been a faltering start to their season and their coach Pauli Taumoepeau would have been pleased with their endeavour and derring do.

The sat on eight points with only a single win from their four games – 11 points out of the top six – and really needed to get the show underway if they wanted to play in the post season games.

It’s not that they hadn’t been playing well but the results had not been coming and critical times in games had been let slip.

The win over Norths was far from being an easy run through with the game all locked up at 14-all at the halftime break but the Shoremen feeling some pressure at scrum time.

Easts held the whip hand for much of the second half and that was rewarded with a penalty goal from Daniel Donato who was good all game and then a try from centre Henry Paterson.

In the first half easts got out of the block early with a try to Dean Oakman-Hunt but Norths were able to get back into the contest and surged ahead with tries to Heinrich Brendel and Nathan Russell.

Norths front row stocks had been depleted following injuries against the Hunter Wildfires and Easts managed to stick a few scrums on them close to the halftime break in their own 22m.

The result was a yellow card to Jack Brewer and a try to the home side that set the tone for the territorial advantage Easts gained throughout the second stanza.

Easts coach Taumoepeau said the win was a vital one in light of how the competition table had been shaping over the first weeks of the season.

“I think we had to win that game given how the top end of the table is travelling,” he said.

“Norths presented some real problems for us to solve. They tested us in numerous areas and were able to pressure us into errors.

“They’re a solid team with good leaders and well coached.”

Norths coach Earl Va’a said his side had come away from the loss with some vital lessons.

“We just couldn’t stop them getting momentum from their pick and drive game,” Va’a said.

“There are no excuses from our side ion things because we knew that it was coming. We just need to look at how we can do things better.

“We got off to a slow start and the pressure started to come through the scrum and we didn’t manage it as we could have.

“Suffice to say that were from lessons from the game.”

Brad Hemopo continues to impress for Norths while on the other side Charlie Gamble was good for the Beasties.

EASTERN SUBURBS 24 (Dean Oakman-Hunt, Jeremy Williams, Henry Paterson tries; Daniel Donato 3 conversions, pen goal) d NORTHERN SUBURBS 14 (Heinrich Brendel, Nathan Russell tries; Angus Sinclair 2 conversions).

IMAGE: KAREN WATSON