Koboni miss out on finals despite win over Kokofas

A SPIRITED Koboni failed to amass the required percentage for a top-four-finish and bowed of the race for a finals berth on positive note, hammering the Gordon Kokofas by 49 points in their Port Moresby AFL match at the Colts Oval on Sunday.
The reigning premiers were required to accrue over 100 points to make the final cut but failed short by 33 points, giving away the finals spot to the Bomana Cats, who saw off a sprirted but doomed effort by the Defence Hawks on Saturday.
The Cats 9.6 (60) had too much in every department over their smaller opponents who returned 4.2 (26).
Koboni ran out the comfortable 10.7 (67) to 2.6 (18) over a disinterested Kokofas but still fell short of the mark.
Prior to the weekend matches, both the Cats and Koboni were tied on 24 points apiece with the Cats slightly ahead on 127 per cent to Koboni’s (110%).
The Cats 34-point win over Defence raised them up to 137 % while the Demons’49-point victory over Gordon could only take them up to 125 %.
The Demons, with PNG Mosquitoes players Brendan Beno, pictured, Paul Philip, David Topeni, Amua Pirika, Scott Malum and Joseph Singura leading the way took total control of the game from the start, nailing four goals and as many behinds in the first quarter.
But the Dees were restricted to two minors in the second term before kicking four more majors in the third and adding another two along with a couple more singles to bank 67 points while their adversaries could only manage two goals and six minors in the match.
The Lizards played their usual best with lone PNG Mosquitoes stalwart Archie Mai Levao, Bena Michael, David Yogomin, Neil Malabag and young Hapex Hapeo calling the shots but could not deal with the swarming Dees in the contested posessions.
The Demons had all the opportunities to amass the percentage but three missed shots from ruckman HeniVele, Francis Brown and Purika proved costly in the final analysis.
In Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash in pool B, a vastly improved West Eagles handed the high-flying Taurama Sun their first loss 3.6 (24) to 1.5 (11).
The Suns still head pool B and will take on the Kokofas this weekend to earn the right to book the first grand final birth.
The Eagles take on the Cats in the minor semifinal with the winner advancing to meet the loser of Suns-Kokofas clash while the loser bows out.