Skipper Andrew Henderson scored two of Gateshead Thunder's six tries
Gateshead Thunder progressed to the Challenge Cup fourth round after a thrilling 42-38 win against Whitehaven at the International Stadium.
Three Haven scores came between two Thunder tries and a Michael Knowles goal to hand the visitors a 20-14 lead at the break.
Thunder began the second half well and scored two early tries to ease into the lead before Haven came back strongly.
But two late Gateshead tries proved enough to win a fiercely contested tie.
Thunder made the perfect start, scrum-half Luke Branighan running in a converted try in only the fourth minute after good pressure around the Whitehaven line.
However Ged Stokes' Haven side were back on the offensive soon after and put their powerful forward pack to use in grinding down the Thunder defence.
In particular the Marras' loose forward Leroy Joe was causing problems, but it was hooker Jamie Theoharous who grabbed the equalising try on 13 minutes.
Referee David Merrick was kept busy as Thunder were penalised for slowing the game down in the ruck, and the visitors took full advantage.
Flowing football from the Marras forwards brought the ball to the hands of replacement Marc Jackson, and his sweetly-timed offload allowed Ade Adebisi to run home the second try.
Now Whitehaven were in their stride, and more expansive rugby resulted in the ball falling to full-back Craig Benson, whose delicious dummy carved open the defence for the third try of the afternoon.
Gregg McNally notched his first try of the game when he benefitted from more tireless work by Joe, who sucked in the Thunder defence before offloading to the teenage scrum-half to score.
Scottish hooker Andrew Henderson followed up that effort with Gateshead's second try. He bundled over to offer Chris Hood's side hope - and a Knowles goal meant the hosts trailed just 20-14 at half-time.
For the second time in seven days, Hood's half-time team-talk would centre on defensive disappointment, and his side responded brilliantly.
Two early tries, one from Kevin Neighbour and the other from Andrew Henderson showed balletic brilliance and twinkletoes to give Thunder a six-point lead on 46 minutes.
Marras scrum-half Gregg McNally was at the heart of their best efforts
Again the pendulum swung as Haven pulled a try back through Derry Eilbeck to narrow the deficit to 26-24.
A marvellous piece of anticipation by Thunder's Australian scrum-half Luke Branighan was the key to his second try, as he scooped a loose pass within the Marras half and ran some 30 yards, dropping a shoulder to avoid a last-ditch tackle.
But such was the manner of the game that Whitehaven were back up the other end to collect a score of their own.
A patient build-up saw McNally stab a grubber through the Thunder defence, and Adebisi was quickest to the ball to notch up another try.
It looked as though Thunder might crumble as Stokes' side poured on the pressure.
First, McNally left four Thunder backs scrambling for cover as he jinked on 68 minutes and jived his way over the line, and then a strong break by Eilbeck and Benson resulted in another try just two minutes later.
However, Hood's Championship newcomers are made of strong stuff, and when Luke Branighan dinked his kick through for Stewart Sanderson to convert, the scores were level at 38-38.
As both sides showed the signs of a sapping encounter, a hopeful punt was spilled by Marras full-back Craig Benson just short of the line, and a gleeful Stewart Sanderson took full advantage to collect the bobbling ball and fall over the line.
The final act of the match was a brawl which centred around Haven prop Taani Lavulavu, who was dismissed as tempers boiled - a sad end to a fabulous cup-tie.
Both sides now have a week to recover before they meet again at Whitehaven's Recreation Ground in the Championship opener on Sunday.
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