Mioks in lead
The National, Tuesday 11th June 2013
HALFWAY through the 2013 Digicel Cup, five teams all on 12 points head the competition but it is the Enga Mioks who claim the top spot thanks to a better points differential.
The Rabaul Gurias, Port Moresby Vipers, Lae Tigers and Goroka Lahanis are the trailing four sides.
The Mioks beat the Gurias 20-6 at Aipus oval in Wabag on Sunday to reclaim the competition lead after nine rounds.
In Port Moresby, Vipers tore through a woeful Simbu Lions outfit at the Lloyd Robson Oval scoring nine tries to two in a one-sided encounter.
The loss left Lions franchise owner Gerard Philip lamenting the lack of discipline and application shown by his charges as they finished the match with 12 men owing to a 38th minute send-off of winger Ben Wemin for a spear tackle on two-try hero Josiah Abavu.
“A total lack of discipline in training, in camp, and that is the result on the field,” Philip said after the match.
The Engans, next to unbeatable at home, had to come from a 6-4 deficit at the break scoring 16 unanswered points in the second half to beat their New Guinea Island rivals in a close affair.
Mark Mexico had the visitors on the board with a surge from 15-metres out that ended under the cross bar.
Halfback Ase Boas slotted the simplest of conversions for a 6-0 lead before reserve Alison Mark notched a four-pointer for the home side to trail by two at the break.
Mioks five-eighth Charles Simon sliced through for try in the 65th minute that signalled a change in momentum as the Highlanders kicked on from a 10-6 lead.
The aptly-named winger James Bond snuck through for the Mioks third try pushing the score to 16-6 at the 70th minute before replacement Tiger Emere rounded off the comeback with a try in the 79th minute.
In Mt Hagen, Benny Pamunda was the Eagles best as the home side held off Eastern Highlands’ Lahanis 26-18 in a physical match.
The Apos staged a fightback after trailing 18-0 at halftime but in the end could not reel in the 18-point start they had given the Hageners in the opening 40.