| Sports |
Big scramble for top seven spots
By MUSARIKE ANANGAI
BATTLE for top spots continued in the Port Moresby rugby
competition after round 17 with five of the top seven sides
winning their respective matches during the weekend.
Leaders Hawks maintained their one-point lead over second-placed
Brothers and Magani with a comfortable 28-12 win over Puma on
Saturday.
Brothers prevailed over Kone Tigers extending a 16-8 halftime
lead to run out 36-14 winners in a seven-tries-to-three display.
Inside centre Romalus Mago was their danger man, scoring three
tries in the second half.
For the third consecutive week Magani has won by a two points,
this time beating Paga 20-18.
Dobo Warriors failed to keep up with Brothers and Magani
dropping two valuable points following a 16-20 loss to Souths.
Souths had led 10-6 at halftime thanks to two first half tries
to winger Auri Joseph, and just before the 70th minute mark had
build up a handy 20-12 lead.
But quick hands by Dobo saw centre Enock Yori score an
unconverted try in the corner, reducing the margin to four
points making the game really exciting with less than 10 minutes
to go.
Needing a converted try for victory the Warriors were camped in
Souths half for three consecutive sets of tackles but failed to
deliver that decisive blow, a try disallowed at the end of the
third set with the referee ruling the last pass forward after
consulting the touch judge.
Butterflies occupy fifth spot after coming from behind to beat
last-placed Waliya.
Waliya had led 4-0 at halftime through an unconverted try by
centre Juria Joshua but the Butterflies piled on four tries to
one in the second stanza to steal the match 18-9.
Premiers and sixth placed Tarangau edged Defence 15-14 while
seventh placed Royals went down to the recently much improved
West 22-18.
The full table sees Hawks (26), Brothers, Magani (25), Dobo
(23), Souths, Butterflies (19), Tarangau, Royals (18), Kone,
Puma (14), Paga (12), Defence (11), West (9) and Waliya (5).
Meanwhile a Rigo select side (country) impressed particularly in
the defensive department despite going down to a Port Moresby
select side (city) 14-18 in a Southern region zone trial match
at the Lloyd Robson oval on Sunday.
Both sides played out a scoreless first half before scoring
three tries each in the second half, with city goal kicker Peter
Moide proving the difference converting all of his side’s tries.
 
|
