Giants upset Bulls charge, win cup

Sports

By MELTON PAIS
THE 2017 NCD Governor’s Christmas Cup grand final ended yesterday with the 9-Mile Giants walking away winners with the Cup and K15,000 after beating Mountain Bulls 6-4 in a tense final.
A great defensive display by the Giants along with some astute direction by halves Karis Peter and McKenzie Buka kept the Bulls from breaking the shackles particular torrid second half at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium on Saturday.
The Bulls earned K7500 for their effort. The Cup final which was suppose to be played last Friday was pushed to Saturday because of rain.
The re-scheduled final attracted a good number of supporters from Port Moresby North East together with their local MP and Housing Minister John Kaupa.
The Giants-Bulls clash in particular was a scrappy affair that did not reach any great heights.
Match officials had trouble keeping the fans from encroaching the field making routine tasks like running the lines and adjudicating calls difficult. In the 10th minute, Hela Wigmen’s star and Mountain Bulls centre David Lapua crossed for a try but the halfback Jerry Teme missed the conversion for a 4-0 lead which they took to halftime.
The Giants looked the better side for most of the second 40 minutes and they were rewarded with a four-pointer to Karish Peter which No.6 Buka converted.
That conversion proved invaluable as neither side could add to their score over the rest of the half.
In the plate division, the winners D8 Mosquitoes got their shield and K5000 and the runners-up Makana Cowboys received K3000.
In the bowl division, winners Urunawini Raiders were rewarded with K3000 while runners-up Saraga Survivors got K2000.
In the women’s division, winners D8 Mosquitoes received K2000 and runners-up 5-Mile Kongos got K1500.
Out of the K75,000 that was presented to the Governor’s Cup organisers, K39,000 was given as prize money with the rest going to the running of the tournament.