Isapea bite into first first win of season

 THE PRK Prima Gulf Isapea knuckled down to a disciplined second-half performance to register their first win over the Kemele Hela Wigmen in Digicel Cup rugby league at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby yesterday.

After consecutive away losses, the Isapea have found renewed confidence as they clawed back from being down 10-6 at half-time with three unanswered tries to win 22-10.

Isapea now have a chance to expand on this win with their next five games in Port Moresby.

Their positive second-half performance was well orchestrated, especially through their kicking game that had the Wigmen reeling.

Isapea fullback Jason Koivi pounced on the first try after a neat grubber into the in-goal by reserve back Terry Kaupa to lead 12-10.

The Wigmen looked to hit back when a timely off-load from inter-change forward Stanton Albert to Johnny Kema and then Sova Milfred stringing passes towards the try-line.

That however led to nothing and further frustration saw the Wigmen’s lack of co-ordination hurting their finishing.

The Isapea did nothing fancy in the forwards, with new signing in experienced hand Siegfried Gande, Andrew Luke, Samuel Hamari, Stanly Korowa and Dickson Wallen making good ground through the middle.

Man of the match in halfback Junior Belo played an instrumental role with his deft kicks into the Wigmen in-goal, to force the latter to kick three consecutive drop-outs.

That mountain of possession allowed the Kerema franchise to engineer two well executed tries to winger Pipi Kilori off a Belo cross-kick and Hamari punching through a tiring defence down the right flank.