Newcastle have fallen just short of pulling off one of the club's bravest wins in recent memory after playing out a 14-all draw with Penrith in Campbelltown.
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The Knights' prospects looked grim the moment Connor Watson (ankle) followed Mitchell Pearce (concussion) down the tunnel by the 10th minute on Sunday.
Newcastle defied their injury toll to reel in a two-try deficit to force golden point, however neither side could nail a combined eight field goal attempts.
Panthers rookie Matt Burton missed all five looks for his side, while Knights duo Tex Hoy (two) and Kurt Mann (one) also watched their shots sail wide.
Both teams remain undefeated after three rounds, sitting below Parramatta and Canberra following the first week back after the COVID-19 lockdown.
"Really proud of them. There were three kids out there making their debut and Bradman (Best) in his third game," Knights coach Adam O'Brien said.
"And the adversity wasn't late in the second half, it was from five minutes in."
There were plenty of heroes on both sides, with Knights youngster Chris Randall among the best with a record 60 tackles on debut.
Panthers wingers Josh Mansour and Brian To'o combined for a mammoth 538 metres, while Api Koroisau had a game-high 61 tackles.
The Knights looked set to enter halftime down two men and two tries before Jacob Saifiti gave them hope with a four-pointer just prior to the break.
Their confidence only lifted when they courageously defended five straight sets on their tryline early in the second half.
But it wasn't until Best made the most of a Tim Glasby offload to cross soon after that Newcastle were within sight of an unlikely upset.
Burton missed two field goals, while Mann also hit wide, in the final five minutes.
Burton had a third chance early in the extra period but hit the upright before the ball fell to Koroisau standing offside.
Best had a supreme chance to find the match-winner after the Panthers rushed Hoy on his next shot, but his pass to Lee went over the touchline.
Burton missed his fifth and final chance of the night in the 89th minute, leaving coach Ivan Cleary to rue two missed competition points.
"It was definitely a lost opportunity in that sense. We put ourselves in a position right through the game to be able to take advantage of dominance," Cleary said.
"But we just couldn't seem to land the knockout blow once it was 14-0."
Already without the suspended Kalyn Ponga, the loss of both Pearce and Watson left Mann as the Knights' only playmaker for the contest.
The 'visitors' showed plenty of defensive ticker, twice holding Penrith over the line before Viliame Kikau crashed through for opening points in the 19th minute.
The Panthers threatened to run away with the contest when Kurt Capewell slipped through soon after for an eight-point try.
The bunker found Knights winger Edrick Lee had kicked Capewell after scoring, giving back-up kicker Stephen Crichton two looks at goal.
But Penrith struggled without their own suspended star in Nathan Cleary, and conceded on the final play of the half to a rampaging Saifiti.
Australian Associated Press
