OTTAWA — Justin Palardy gave Toronto some breathing room with a 50-yard field goal, and the Argonauts hung on for a 35-26 win over the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday.
The win ended Toronto’s three-game losing skid and halted Ottawa’s winning streak at three as the Argos pulled into a second-place tie with the Redblacks in the East Division. Both clubs have 7-5 records.
A 74-yard single from Mike Palardy, a one-yard touchdown run from Adrian MacPherson and Justin Palardy’s field goal, all in the fourth quarter, gave the Argos enough points to keep the Redblacks at bay.
The only points the Redblacks were able to put up in the fourth came in the form of a five-yard touchdown pass from Henry Burris to Greg Ellingson, but the failed extra point left the home side trailing 32-26.
After Justin Palardy’s field goal with less than four minutes to play, the Redblacks saw their last two drives end on an interception and the end of regulation.
The first half went pretty much the Argos’ way as they took a 24-10 lead into the break.
The Argos scored on the opening drive of the game when Trevor Harris hooked up with Kevin Elliott on an eight-yard touchdown pass.
The Redblacks got the ball and promptly went two-and-out, and the ensuing punt from Brett Maher was returned 87 yards for a touchdown by Chad Owens for a 14-0 lead.
The Redblacks offence was able to do enough on their next drive to set up a 39-yard field goal from Chris Milo, and on the next Toronto drive Harris had a pass tipped and then intercepted by Domasa Munoz and returned 40 yards for a touchdown.
Trailing just 14-10 after the first quarter the Redblacks looked to be in good shape but a 23-yard field goal from Justin Palardy at 2:26 of the second quarter and then a nine-yard pass from Harris to Elliott at 6:21 shifted momentum back to the Argos. The touchdown drive was aided by three penalties for 35 yards against the Redblacks. One of them negated a recovered fumble.
In the third quarter the Redblacks scored on a 12-yard pass from Burris to Ellingson and on their next possession got a 38-yard field goal from Milo to cut the lead to 24-20.
The Argos third-quarter possessions ended with a punt, an interception and another punt.
