It was end to end football in a high-scoring game that went right down to the wire, with a 90-metre individual effort from DJ Gordon getting the Jets over the line in the dying minutes.

Captain Corey Cox said he was proud the injury-plagued Jets had kept themselves in the game against a runaway Wellington.

“We dug deep,” Cox said.

“We’re always struggling with numbers … so it’s always a good performance just to stick with any team, regardless of coming away with the two points.”

The points flowed freely in the first half, with the Cowboys’ Lewis Stanley the first to cross the try line. The Jets struck back through Alex Sambrook, with Cox’s conversion sending the visitors 6-4 in front.

Then the momentum swung the home side’s way. The fleet-footed Brian Baxter made short work of the Jets’ defence, toying with them before being brought down just short of the line. But the damage was done and Steve Matheson crashed over two tackles later.

Norm West had no trouble adding the extras, and Nathan Smith ran over to give the Cowboys a 16-6 lead with 20 minutes still remaining in the first half.

Then inspiration struck, and his name was DJ Gordon.

The winger was almost untouchable on the edge as he dived over twice in five minutes to turn the game in Narromine’s favour, and namesake DJ Kennedy was over shortly afterwards.

Cowboys captain-coach Aidan Ryan stepped up to draw the hosts level, and the teams went into the sheds at 22 points apiece.

The second half continued in similar fashion, with Cox crossing for a try of his own and Sambrook crossing for his second to keep the Jets in a 34-all ball game.

Then Gordon struck gold.

The Cowboys were just 15 metres from the Jets’ line and spreading the ball to the edge, but spilled it.

Somehow, Gordon picked the ball up cleanly and flew almost 90 metres to score, and Cox hit the sideline conversion sweetly to secure Narromine’s victory.

The win brings the Jets within a point of fifth place on the Group 11 ladder, equal with the Cowboys.

“It gives us our shot,” Cox said. “We were a bit ordinary in patches but when we found our go forward, around the ruck with the forwards, that’s where we got our momentum I think.

“If we can get the boys to training and have a good run before we play, I think that will be a big benefit for us.”

NARROMINE JETS 40 (DJ Ward 3, Alex Sambrook 2, DJ Kennedy, Corey Cox tries; Cox 6 goals) def WELLINGTON COWBOYS 34 (Lewis Stanley 3, Steve Matheson, Nathan Smith, Aidan Ryan tries; Norm West 5 goals)