Tribes win touch title

By JACK AMI
ONTRACK Tribes edged Datafix 8-6 to retain the Corporate Touch Port Moresby women’s open title for the second successive season at the National Football Stadium main oval yesterday.
Maria Alu starred for Tribes scoring a try and causing havoc with her touches.
Tribes took a 5-3 lead at the break and kept that advantage throughout.
Any chance Datafix had of staging a comeback were snuffed out when Tribes extended the lead to 6-3.
Datafix hit back when former Tribes player Keli Peter dived over off a well-timed pass by veteran Diane Vetu.
But Tribes stars Alu, Bessie Tom and Grace Kouba controlled the tempo of the game and helped set up a 7-4 win
Datafix’s Karen Kou, Hannah Tu’u and veterans Vetu, Elisabeth Alova and Kila Karara combined to rattle off two quick tries to narrow the margin by a point (7-6).
Tribes ensured their hold on the title would continue with Alu and Tom scoring tries to win the game and secure a second flag.
Datafix will rue not taking their opportunities and their defensive lapses.
“We were prepared and knew Datafix would be desperate to upset us,” Alu said. “They caught us off guard and scored two quick tries to make it 7-6 before but we were lucky to put the icing on the cake in the end.”
In the masters final, Datafix beat Transport 3-2; in the open mixed pool B playoff Veupunama beat NGIP Crew 9-8; in the open mixed pool A playoff Parapella beat Tribes 7-5; in the senior mixed playoff Parapella edged Bank South Pacific 9-8.
CTPM president Burrow Kirupana said his executives had committed K16,000 to stage their finals at the National Football Stadium.
“Last season the CTPM grand finals were staged at the Sir John Guise Stadium and we thought this year it should be at the NFS with the quality surface for players to play well and enjoy the game without any problems.”
He said credit needed to go to all clubs for their loyalty and commitment to the CTPM competition.