A converted try in the shadows of full-time secured Newcastle an 18-16 win over Parramatta, with the result maintaining its undefeated start to the season.
The win in Newcastle also confirmed the Knights' first NRLW finals berth.
The Knights failed to win a match in their inaugural season but are now undefeated through the first three rounds of the 2022 campaign, meaning they cannot be ousted from the top four with two rounds to play.
The Eels' Tayla Preston threatened to snatch the match from the error-prone Knights when she set two tries up from kicks in the second half.
But in the final two minutes, Newcastle hooker Olivia Higgins crashed over from dummy half for her second career try to level the scores at 16-16.
Kirra Dibb made no mistake with her conversion of the Higgins four-pointer, confirming a win for the home side.
Parramatta is still hunting its first victory of the season and must now defeat last-placed Gold Coast next week to have any chance of qualifying for the finals.
The Eels were left to rue an 8-4 penalty count and their inability to penetrate the Knights' goal-line defence in the first half.
Despite enjoying a breeze at their backs and the best efforts of second-row pairing Christian Pio and Vanessa Foliaki, the Eels only had a 6-4 lead to show for their efforts at half-time.
Knights prop Tayla Predeborn reached over just after the break to give Newcastle the lead for the first time but Preston took it upon herself to wrestle the momentum back for the Eels.
She first found Tess Staines with a cross-field bomb and then provided another kick for centre Rikeya Horne, whose second try well and truly breaks a dry spell that stretched back to 2018.
But the Eels could not hold on when the Knights rolled down field close to full-time.
AAP
