Central Otago
RHYS CHAMBERLAIN
Upper Clutha finally broke Arrowtown's long unbeaten run when it beat the powerful side 20-10 in Wanaka on Saturday.
Arrowtown was understandably confident after a 10-match winning streak but a rejuvenated Upper Clutha side had other ideas.
A large crowd was treated to some typically tight and physical country rugby.
No 8 John Mathias opened the scoring for Upper Clutha when he crossed the tryline.
Byron Clarke converted.
Later, Arrowtown second five-eighth John Koia broke through the home side's defence to score, leaving the match on a knife edge at half-time, the score at 7-5.
The second half was no different and with 10 minutes left to play the score sat at 14-10, thanks to a try from the home side's second five-eighth John Scott and a Reece Winter penalty goal for Arrowtown.
Clarke featured again with a penalty and dropped goal to seal the match for Upper Clutha.
Openside flanker Bern Lucas was in outstanding form for Upper Clutha.
• The other top-of-the-table clash came in Queenstown where Wakatipu beat Maniototo 17-7.
The home side was in dynamic form, its cohesiveness between backs and forwards proving to be the difference over a typically strong Maniototo side.
Wakatipu blindside flanker Riki Uhrele opened the scoring when he crossed partway through the first half.
At half-time, the score was 5-0.
It was then the turn of openside flanker Guy McCone to cross for Wakatipu, followed by a Paul Docherty try for the visitors to keep it close.
However, when first five-eighth Reagan Pearce scored late in the match, the win was sealed.
Second five-eighth Tom Kelley was in sublime form for Wakatipu.
• At Anderson Park, Cromwell beat Clyde-Earnscleugh 12-5, its third win of the season.
The match was not pretty, all of the game's 17 points coming in the first half.
The opening try came when flying Cromwell winger Sean Anderson finished off a classy backline move after a mid-field break-out.
He caught the final pass after it touched five sets of hands and paved the way for what looked to be an easy win.
After 15 minutes, it was a sense of deja-vu as another try was scored in the exact same fashion, only this time openside flanker Brad Nicholson touched down.
However, an easy win was not to be.
The visitors came storming back through numerous forward movements, setting up centre Duncan Stewart to score in the corner after the Cromwell defence ran out of numbers.
This was the way the score would stay as the second half became scrappy, both sides looking to dominate but neither able to.
In the other match played on Saturday afternoon, Alexandra continued its rise up the competition standings when it beat Matakanui at Molyneux Park 28-3.
Netball
Competition front-runner Molyneux A notched up another win in the Central Otago premier netball competition when it accounted for rising star Cromwell College A 41-24 on Saturday afternoon.
The pace and accuracy of the Molyneux mid-court proved to be the difference in the match, Vanessa Hooykaas and Lauren Conder frustrating Cromwell's defence with their speed.
Ellen Warhurst, in the mid-court for the pupils, tried to start a comeback with her attacking skill but at 22-13 at half-time it was going to be a hard task.
• The other school side in the competition, Dunstan High School A, faired much better in its match with Ex Girls, winning 33-26.
The game was tight at the end of the first period, the score locked at 7-7, but it was the Ex Girls who could not keep up the pace and when the scores reached 17-12 at half-time it was always going to be a struggle to come back.
Dunstan's goal defence Jonelle Fulton was in superb defensive touch, using her length to disrupt the opposition attack.
Kerri Campbell worked tirelessly for Ex Girls.
• The Roxburgh Kilties continued its impressive form, accounting for Hillview Black 36-21.
Somewhat surprisingly, Hillview led 8-6 at the end of the first period but by half-time Roxburgh had the edge by one goal, and from there Hillview would not get back in the match.
Shontel Tumai was Roxburgh's best player, her defence, especially rebounding, was invaluable.
For Hillview, Anna van der Voort was the stand-out player.
Hockey
The Central Otago premier hockey league continued on Saturday with four women's teams in action.
In the first match-up, Queenstown and Maniototo squared off, the tightly-fought match ending in a 1-1 draw.
• In the second game, Alexandra Waratahs beat Cromwell comfortably 5-2.
• In the men's competition, one game was played, between the Cromwell A side and its counterpart Cromwell B.
The match ended as was expected, an inflated 9-3 win to Cromwell A.
North Otago
By TERRY O'NEILL
Valley made it seven from seven when, in an ill-tempered game at Weston, it beat Athletic 24-8.
The match was marred by the Athletic players in the second half walking off the field after one of their number had been red-carded by referee Wayne Boyle.
The match eventually resumed. Excelsior avenged its first-round defeat with a 43-7 win over Kurow, while Old Boys beat bottom team Maheno 63-25.
• Athletic's Simi Fuluasou opened the scoring with a penalty but then Hamish McKenzie levelled for Valley.
Valley produced the best try of the game two minutes later when winger Matt Pile came into the backline to give fullback Jason Mavor the overlap to score an unconverted try.
Nick Webster kicked a wide-angled 50m penalty late in the half to give Valley an 11-3 half-time lead.
Webster added another long-range penalty 20 minutes into the second half before the game disintegrated.
McKenzie added a penalty eight minutes from full-time but Athletic, playing more constructive rugby, put prop Tavite Mafi in for an unconverted try.
Valley wrapped it up with a late try to winger Dan van der Salm.
• Excelsior piled on 19 first-half points to take the game out of Kurow's grasp.
Left-winger Situa Siale scored for Jason Forrest to convert, then fullback Tim Milmine scored Excelsior's second try, which Forrest duly converted.
A try to former Munster hooker Mike Essex gave Excelsior its 19-0 half-time lead.
Wade Newlands put Kurow on the board with an intercept try early in the second half, which Rob Waldie converted, but Excelsior tightened its grip with further tries to Lisiate Lea, Mike Mullins and Essex, with Forrest adding two conversions.
• Old Boys raced out to a 43-13 lead at half-time against Maheno but the foot came off the pedal in the second half, with Maheno showing plenty of spirit in the third quarter.
Old Boys lock Eti Tofaga and midfielder Glenn Paterson scored early tries, with Tai Aholeilei converting both.
Brendan Gray added a penalty for Maheno.
Old Boys ran riot in the second quarter with tries to Aholeilei, halfback John Moala, fullback Isitola Hafoka, No 8 Joe Mamea and winger Ofa Fatafehi, with Aholeilei adding two conversions.
Sione Vea, the Maheno No 8, scored, with Michael Hore adding the other five points with his boot to make it 43-13 at half-time.
Maheno hooker Malcolm Vince scored to make it 43-18 early in the second half before Old Boys hit top gear again, Samuela Kula crossing for two tries, Roma Sefo and Unga Kefu adding tries while Maheno put halfback Jordan Schmitz in for a late try.
Netball
Kurow had to lift its work rate to beat a determined Athletic Maroon 33-26 in premier netball on Saturday.
It was 7-7 at the end of the first quarter, with Kurow establishing a two-point margin at half-time, but the side applied the pressure to create a winning break.
The Athletic defence was strong, with Lucy Adams (GK) standing out.
St Kevins A held Rovers to a 7-6 lead at the end of the first quarter but the Rovers defence worked hard, with Anika McLennan standing out at WD.
• East Otago registered its second win in premier grade with a 24-14 win over Valley Blue without mentor Carmen Brensell on the court.
East Otago led by two at the end of the first quarter but pulled away in the second half.
• Waitaki Black handed Waitaki Red its 35-10 win when it missed 17 shots.
Nicole Meikle and Lydia Woods, on the other hand, were shooting over 90% for the Red side, while Brittany Johns stood out on defence.
Football
Awamoa United lost its third match on end in division one football when it lost 1-2 to Thistle in Timaru on Saturday.
Sean Ferguson gave Thistle a 1-0 lead at half-time, with Connor Broughton sealing the game in the second half.
Sullivan Martin scored a second-half goal for Awamoa United.
• Meadowbank United made it 10 from 10 when it beat Pleasant Point 6-1 in Pleasant Point on Saturday.
After a goalless first half, Meadowbank scored six second-half goals with Lutz Ewel getting three, Andy Lane two, and Mark McGregor one.
Caleb Wilson scored Pleasant Point's only goal from a corner.
• Three goals to Heath Friedlander and one to Lucas Chalmers carried Waitaki Boys First X1 to a 4-0 win over Green Island Blue, but Green Island sides won the other two matches beating Waitaki Boys Second X1 10-1, and Waitaki Boys juniors 3-2.
Basketball
The Penguins won both games played over the weekend at the Waitaki Recreation Centre.
On Friday night, the Penguins downed Otago 107-78 after leading 50-40 at half-time.
Murray Clark top-scored with 40 points and 18 rebounds, closely followed by Ian Cathcart with 26 points.
Abe Pomure made a fine debut for the Penguins.
On Saturday evening, the Penguins beat Southland 96-72 after leading 48-30 at half-time.
Cathcart top-scored with 30 points and was well-supported by Clark (20 points, 13 rebounds) and Matt Gillan (17 points, 13 rebounds).
Indoor bowls
The annual Town-Country fixture was played on Friday night with 24 teams competing.
Country took the honours with 62 points, with Country's top team of Eileen Berryman (s), Shirley Dick and Ngaire Harris, from Town with 34 points, and the top team of Dave Weaver (s), Bob Kyles and Eric Benge.
The Henselite singles were played on Saturday night with 24 entries.
Nine qualified and in the final Neil Gilbert of the Oamaru club beat Meadowbank's Bob Lewis 13-11.
Hockey
Tainui returned to winning form with a 7-0 win over Cambridge on Saturday afternoon.
Jamie Ferris led the way with a hat trick of goals.
• Pirata Blue was too strong for Waitaki Boys Second XI with 5-0 win.
• Ben McLeod scored six goals and Ray Simpson three as Shamrocks beat St Kevins Red 9-2.
• St Kevins Girls First XI won both matches played on Saturday, Doni Simpson scoring both goals as St Kevins beat Waitaki Girls First XI 2-1 and then beat the Waitaki Girls Second XI 12-0.
South Otago
By NORMAN WOODS
Lawrence made it 12 from 12, beating Crescent 65-18.
It led 26-13 at half-time.
For Lawrence, the standout players were openside flanker Ben Young and Tony Potter at first five.
Lex Kaleca and Sonny Vakaruru scored three tries each, and ran with too much pace.
For Crescent, Barry Gooch and Seaoga Lesu showed out in the loose, while Logan Kelly and Alex Sega led the tight forwards well.
• At Owaka, Clutha Valley led 8-3 at half-time before beating Owaka 23-3.
It was played on a very heavy ground, and it was the tactical kicking of the Valley inside backs, keeping Owaka pinned in its own half, that won the game.
John McGimpsey and Craig Hyslop were two outstanding forwards for Valley, while the inside back combination of Josh Botting and Lachie Moore kept Owaka at bay.
The win almost assures Clutha Valley the South Otago banner, which it last held in 1979.
• At Milton, Toko, after scoring three converted tries in the first 15 minutes, hung on to beat Clutha 21-10 after leading 21-3 at half-time.
For Toko, Simon Scott was outstanding in the pack and deserved his two tries.
For Clutha, Dan Groen at prop was in grand form.
• At Heriot, the home team beat Clinton 30-13 after leading 15-6 at the break.
Heriot forwards were well led by Sean Tauti, back after injury.
His two fine tries set Heriot up for victory.
Blair Young and Fraser Fletcher led the tight forwards well.
In the backs, Karl Worsley at halfback gave excellent service, while Adrian Clauge was steady at first five.
For Clinton, No 8 Brad Lapthorn and Craig McKenzie impressed.
