Ports land Port Moresby Corporate Touch title

 PNG Ports shocked defending champions Moni Plus by a whisker 4-3 in the Port Moresby Corporate Touch open men’s division grand final at the Murray Barracks oval over the weekend. 

In the women’s open division Bank South Pacific claimed their fourth consecutive crown beating Kimbu Associates in the extra time.

It was good defensive touch football as the score line indicated with Ports star players George Baure and Norman Vavona scored doubles to scoop their first title honors.

For Moni Plus, Wana Saea, Eugene Eka and Robinson Kasisi each posted tries.

The halftime score was 3-3 and it was anybody’s game heading into the second stanza.

Ports brought a fit team comprising Ridley Hou, Rex Malala, Junior Tom, Opo Wate and Paul Baure while Moni had Paul Kasisi working overtime with Saea, Eka and Kasisi Junior in the dying stages but were denied by handling errors and wayward passing.

Hou executed the winning play finding Vavona with a cut-out pass to wrap up the final.

Saea said it was a good game but error at crucial times denied his side from putting pressure on Ports.

PNG Ports manager Cecil Frank said his side struggled for three years and the final was a well-deserved accomplishment for the years of toil and effort.  

In the other encounters, Open Men’s Pool B, Exxon Mobil edged Hasting Deering Engineering 3-2. 

In the Senior Mix division Kimbu Lawyers beat BSP 13-11 and in Pool B PNG Air Services stopped Port Moresby International School 13-12. 

In the Masters division BSP closed Transport’s account 6- 4.