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Sports |
Gurias stop Cup leaders
Goroka Lahanis taste
first defeat by Rabaul side
By PETER PIA and SAMPSON BONAI
COMPETITION leader
Bintangor Lahanis suffered its first loss after going down to
Agmark Gurias by four points - 30-26 - in the first of the SP Cup
double headers in Lae yesterday.
In the main match, host LBC Bombers beat Pagini Warriors 30-16 in
a scrappy and errors-marred football front 4,000-plus spectators
at Lae Rugby Football League oval.
Agmark Gurias coach Michael Marum praised his boys for a well
deserved win. “We worked hard in the second half with better ball
security and the boys put up a strong defence towards the dying
minutes and denied Lahanis any points on the board,” Marum said.
Lahanis coach Peter Danga blamed their loss on poor ball handling
and for not completing their set of six tackles.
“I have assessed our weakness and will place more emphasis on ball
security during training this week, and to move up quickly in
defence to stop the opponents from gaining valuable ground,” Danga
said.
The Lahanis were first to score, in the seventh minute through a
Mack Siwi try which Anton Kui was not able to convert.
Gurias replied immediately with a try to captain Menzie Yere after
Lahanis lost possession of the ball, and then followed up with
another try to kicker Jessie Alunga. Both tries were not converted
but they led 8-4.
Lahanis hit back with a Singfred Gande try and conversion to put
them in front once more 10-8 but that didn’t last long after
Gurias coach Marum put in replacements Lucas Solbat and Obert
Hondale on the field
Solbat responded to the cheering for him from the stands by
scoring and even though Alex Ben’s conversion attempt was off the
mark, Gurias regained the lead 12-10.
Few minutes before the break, Opisa Pomba dummied from the 20
metre line to score a try which was converted and Lahanis followed
suit soon after for a 18-16 scoreline at half-time.
The second half was more or less a repeat of the first half as
both teams continued to exchange the lead.
Lahanis put their nose in front 20-18 when inter-change player
Bafinuc Ilai side-stepped several defenders from the half way mark
but the conversion was unsuccessful.
When Lahanis were penalised for an infringement inside their
20-metre zone, Gurias equalised 20-20 through a penalty goal.
It was anybody’s game until Hondale broke the silence with Alunga
converted to surge ahead 26-20. They wrapped up their points
through another try by Ricky Sibiya though it was not converted.
In the dying stages of the game Lahanis replied with a six-pointer
but time caught up with them.
 
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