Manawatu triumphs

Press, 23 July 1986, Page 68

Manawatu triumphs

PA Palmerston North Manawatu broke its four-match losing streak by narrowly defeating the second division side, Hawke’s Bay, 32-30, at Palmerston North yesterday.

Manawatu led, 22-0, after 44 minutes and 32-12 after 61 minutes but had no answer to the Bay’s whirlwind finish, the momentum of which put the pacy left wing, Paul Cooke, in for four tries. Manawatu totally dominated Hawke’s Bay in the scrums and mauls, giving the No. 8, Emosi Koloto and the half-back, Chris O’Neill, a solid plat-

form from which to launch wave after wave of attacks.

O’Neill took advantage to score three tries. Manawatu should have won in a canter because of its forward dominance. Scorers: Manawatu 32 (Chris O’Neill 3, Mark Finlay, Emosi Koloto tries; Ross McLeod two penalties, three conversions) Hawke’s Bay 30 (Paul Cook 4, Andrew Haldane tries; Peter O’Shaugnessy 4 conversions). Halftime: 12-0.

• The full-back, Darrell Going, scored a try just before full-time to secure a 24-19 win for North Auckland over

North Harbour at Whangarei yesterday. North Auckland led, 169, at half-time and 20-9 midway through the second spell before North Harbour, a second division side, got back to 2019. It was a fast moving encounter in which North Auckland scored five tries to North Harbour’s three. Scorers: North Auckland 24 (Don Stevenson, Tony Abel, Mike Speight, Fred Woodman, Darrell Going tries; Going 2 conversions) North Harbour 19 (Tony Dawson, Paul Feeney tries; Frano Botica penalty and conversion, Feeny conversion.