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After establishing a commanding 35-19 halftime lead, Clutha appeared to be in complete control.
The visitors dominated the opening 40 minutes, pinning Valley in their own half for extended periods and making the most of several 50-50 calls that fell their way.
Despite the early pressure, Clutha Valley looked dangerous whenever they secured quality front-foot possession.
The home side produced an outstanding second-half fightback, repeatedly working their way into attacking territory and exposing a tiring Clutha defensive line.
While Valley crossed for one more try than their opponents, missed conversions ultimately proved costly in a match decided by just four points.
Several turnovers at crucial moments also denied the home side further scoring opportunities.
Prop Chris Barrett and fullback Brayden Wilson were among Clutha Valley’s best performers, while Wyatt Shanks finished with a superb hat-trick of tries.
For Clutha, Dallas Kupa-Pickering and Tate Colley each scored doubles in an important victory that keeps the Steamers’ unbeaten record intact.
Toko returned to the top four in emphatic fashion with an 89-12 demolition of Clinton at Milton’s Showgrounds.
The home side set the tone early with two quick tries, although Clinton responded admirably and enjoyed a competitive spell with ball in hand.
The teams traded tries during an entertaining first half that tested both defensive lines, Toko taking a 33-12 advantage into the break.
The second half belonged entirely to the hosts. Toko shifted through the gears to pile on 56 unanswered points as Clinton struggled to match their intensity.
Prop James Agnew was outstanding, scoring a hat-trick of tries and proving almost impossible to stop with ball in hand. Winger Quinn Johnstone and midfielder Dylan Bungard also produced influential performances in a dominant team display.
Crescent kept their semifinal hopes alive with a deserved 36-19 victory over West Taieri at Kaitangata.
The home side controlled much of the opening quarter, enjoying the majority of possession and territory despite West Taieri’s resilient defence keeping the scoreboard close.
Crescent held a narrow 13-12 halftime advantage after a late penalty.
Crescent raised their intensity after the break, creating space out wide and finishing their opportunities with confidence.
West Taieri struggled to build sustained phases of possession in the second half, while Crescent finished the stronger side to secure a well-earned win and keep their playoff aspirations alive.
Owaka celebrated club day in style with a hard-fought 18-12 victory over Lawrence at Owaka.
It was an evenly contested encounter with both teams enjoying lengthy periods of possession throughout the afternoon.
Owaka held a 12-7 lead at halftime before producing a disciplined second-half performance.
The home side made fewer errors and added two penalties to seal an important six-point victory.
By Francis Parker
