| Sports |
Lahanis fire back to win
Bingtagor Lahanis came from behind
and scored 16 unanswered points in the second half to defeat an
injury-riddled Mabey and John Muruks 16-8 in a torrid affair in
Madang yesterday.
With injuries to George Moni (prop), Terry Toa (winger) and
Steven Kua (halfback) and the reserve bench reduced to one early
in the first half, the Muruks failed to build on from their 8-0
lead with poor ball handling and slack defence in the second
stanza.
Despite the injuries, the first half was all Muruks that
resulted in two unconverted tries to winger Felix Tangue and
centre, Mathew Puke.
The Lahanis’only opportunity to score went begging at the 20th
minute when five-eight Mack Siwi did not have the speed to reach
the line and threw a blind pass to a Muruks player.
An aggressive Lahanis pack returned in the second half to
capitalise on an injury-hit Muruks when winger Garnett Auwo
scored the first of his two tries to trail 4-8, two minutes into
the half. Apart from some rough-house tactics at certain stages
of the game that forced the Port Moresby referee Tony Kuni to
warn Lahanis skipper Sigfred Gande and fellow forward Junior
Ropra, the game had many drop balls on a partly muddy and wet
paddock owing to overnight rain and the local club games played
before the SP Cup match..
The game turned in the 66th minute when a forward pass in front
of linesman Peter Elavo at the halfway mark on the far side of
the field went unnoticed and Lahanis centre, Anton Kui scored a
centre try. Siwi collected the extras and put his side ahead for
the first time 10-8.
Few minutes later, the Muruks defence went back-peddling and
Auwo got his second try and Mack converted to extend the Lahanis
lead to 16-8.
With the clock ticking, the Muruks made couple of raids into the
Lahanis territory with lock Malachi Owen making a break and set
up a kick for Puke but the ball beat him over the touch line.
 
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