Muruks win back-and-forth decider

The National Sports

THE ENBSL Muruks bagged their fifth premiership beating the Dusty Shipping Bulldogs  18-17 in the East New Britain Rugby Football League grand final over the weekend.
The fiery clash went down to the wire with a good crowd at Kalabond Oval in Kokopo enjoying a tense but entertaining contest from the first minute to the last.
Both sides scored four tries each with neither side able to score back to back tries.
The Bulldogs were the first to cross the line through Ronald Matthew off a bomb fumbled by Muruks David Punion for a 4-0 lead.
Muruks hit back with a try in the far corner to winger Savenat Mataria to lock things up at 4-4.
Bulldogs scored their second try through Gordon Timmy and again the conversion was unsuccessful but they were now in front 8-4.
Muruks nippy halfback and co-caption Eremas Matep crossed the line through some soft defence and with his try being converted by Sidney Ilam giving them a 10-8 lead.
In the second half, Bulldogs veteran Jacky Marcus at half back stepped his way through some shoddy defence to score but failed to convert the try for his side to get back in front 12-10.
Mataria crossed for his second four-pointer for the Muruks to reclaim the lead  (14-12) for the  second time.
Dogs’ Herman Posa nudged his side back in front with an unconverted try and the match was poised at 16-14.
Muruks hard-running prop Pirtop Kaminiel muscled his way through some tiring goal line defence to have his side two points in front at 18-16.
With seven minutes left of the clock, Marcus hedging his bets nailed a field goal to get within one a point of the Muruks but his side failed to bridge the gap in the remaining time.
During the post match presentations the league acknowledged the assistance (K10,000) given to it by Kokopo MP and ENB Governor Ereman ToBaining Jr. The money was given to the league and the finalists.
The Agmark Gurias sponsored the trophies for other divisions.
Results: A grade – Muruks 18 Bulldogs 17; U20s – Storm 5 Brothers 4; B grade – Brothers 20 Bulldogs 16; Women’s – Royals 10 Storm 6.