Melbourne Storm skipper Cameron Smith has been left "disappointed" with his troops after letting in a "really soft" late try from Viliame Kikau that clinched a 21-14 victory for the Panthers in Campbelltown.
Ivan Cleary's men managed to stave off a comeback from the perennial NRL stayers in a match that threatened to slip away from them in a late struggle.
Locked up at 14-14 after Melbourne's Brenko Lee crossed over midway through the second half, Kikau pulled off the match-defining play when he charged onto a shallow Nathan Cleary bomb to score.
The play infuriated Melbourne captain Cameron Smith, who labelled the Storm's finish as "uncharacteristic" as Kikau went unchallenged for the ball just metres from the line with minutes remaining.
"The thing I was most disappointed in was Kikau's try," Smith told Nine's Friday Night Knock-Off.
"It was just uncontested. It was just a little lob of a kick from Cleary and he went through untouched and scored a really soft try.
"That's an area where we really pride our self on, our goal-line defence and that's really what cost us tonight.
"We were right in it with 10 to go and that was the dagger for us tonight."
Cleary then slotted a field goal from 30 metres out with four minutes to play to seal the victory.
The win was just the Panthers' third over the Storm since 2005, and ensured they will finished the round in the top four and among the competition's frontrunners.
It also means they can add the Storm to their list of scalps for the year, after also beating defending premiers Sydney Roosters in round one before losing narrowly to Parramatta last week.
In a high-quality match at Campbelltown, both sides completed at above 80 per cent in a match that ebbed and flowed throughout.
-with AAP
* This article was originally published here
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