Lions snatch late draw

THE battle of the big cats in the Digicel Cup competition in Lae yesterday ended in a draw when Lions winger Joel Ambrose scored the leveller late in the game against the Tigers for an 18-18 result.
The TNA-sponsored side under coach Leonard Tarum put in a better performance which saw them more than a match in every department against the joint competition leaders from the Morobe capital.
The Lions were in the game from the start and only trailed 14-8 at the break. After a 20-8 loss to the Muruks in Mendi the previous Sunday, Tarum’s men were determined to get their season on track with a committed performance and although the did not win the game, they at least have a point in their column after five rounds.
Lions centre Rex Maima scored two tries in his hat-trick for his side to trail the hosts, who earlier had hooker Noel Joel and centre Pasu Awane dot down for tries, by a converted try at the end of the opening 40 minutes.
Tigers forward Sydney Fred scored a try just before the halftime siren to get his side out to a six-point break when it looked like the visitors had the momentum thanks to Maima’s double which had the scores at 10-8 to the Tigers.
Tigers five-eighth Charlie Simon missed the easy conversion and this would have in the bigger scheme of things given his side victory in the end.
The match turned into a battle of brawn more so than skill and tactics and the Tigers, who seemed to go down to the level of the Lions, were happy to trade hits and in the middle third.
Awane, who put his body on the line with every touch, pushed the margin out to 10 points with a try for the Tigers to hold a handy 18-8 advantage.
A Tigers fumble off the restart was the chance the Lions needed and they played their set to perfection with Tala Kami getting the ball close to the Tigers line before scheming hooker Brian Gispe switched the point of attack to halfback Robin Soga, who turned it in to a flying Maima to bag his third try and get his team to within four points of the hosts at 14-18.
Another mistake by the home side gave the visitors their chance to win the game and again Soga played provider threading a grubber behind the Tigers line for Ambrose to reach the ball first.
Soga could have won the game for the visitors but his conversion was waved away.
Tigers 18 (N. Joel, S. Fred, P. Awene 2 tries; C. Simon 1 con) Lions 18 (R. Maima 3 tries, J. Ambrose tries; R. Soga 1 con) HT: 14-8 (Tigers) at LRL.