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Port 42 def. Corrimal 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jeff Hardy returned to The Blacks side for the first time this season and immediately had an impact, helping the Blacks to a strong win against a determined Cougars side. The game was only four minutes old when Hardy split the Corrimal line and sprinted forty metres before passing inside to Lulia Lulia who crossed for the first try of the match. Johno Johnson converted to give Port an early 6-0 lead. A minute later, the flood gates looked like opening when Craig Simon, playing at halfback, put a kick through for four Blacks chasers. Unfortunately, Port could not control the ball and Corrimal were off the hook. Corrimal hit back in the 17th minute when a kick into the in goal area was not cleaned up by Port defenders, allowing Luke Stafford to dive on the ball for an unlikely try. Kerr goaled to tie the scores at six a piece. For most of the opening term The Cougars had the better of the play, running strongly and playing the ball with more urgency than their more fancied rivals. Don Tweddle in particular was having a strong game, seemingly getting his arms free in tackles and off-loading at will. The Corrimal side kept peppering the Blacks with kicks behind their defensive line. The tactic paid off in the 24th minute when Jason Sullivan could not handle one of the clever Adam Kerr kicks, allowing Trent Hill to gather the ball and dive over for the easiest of tries. The conversion attempt was wide, but Corrimal led Port by 10-6. Jason Sullivan looked to get Port back into the game with a great run in the 27th minute, only to see Lulia give up the ball in the following tackle. Clint Hill then did his bit, getting a great ball away to Grant Roberts who coughed up possession on the Corrimal try line when hit from both sides in a strong tackle. It wasn’t until the 34th minute of play when a scrappy bit of work on the final tackle saw Craig Simon burrow his way over the line, planting the ball under the black dot. Port led 12-10 after the Johnson conversion. Grant Bobbin then made a great break and found Grant Roberts backing up inside, this time making no mistake to score Port’s third try. Johnson converted and the Blacks went into the break with an 18-10 lead over Corrimal. The second half started in sensational fashion with Clint Hill splitting the defence after just thirty seconds. Hill was put into the clear by Johnson and when he reached the defence, he kicked for Simon to chase and dive on the ball, regaining possession for Port. On the next play, Hill completed his great start to the second half, crossing for Johnson to convert and Port to lead by 24-10 after just one minute of play. Port scored again in the fourth minute when Nick Nikitaras strolled through some flimsy defence. Johnson kept his perfect record in tact and The Blacks led by 30-10. Halfway through the second half, Nikitaras got over the line again, this time ruled to be held up by the referee. Port went close again when, eleven out from the bell, Craig Simon ran freely, turning the ball inside to Victor Daly who progressed the ball to just ten out from Corrimal’s line. It wasn’t until the 31st minute of the second half when Port scored through Grant Roberts who dived on a perfectly weighted Johno Johnson grubber in goal. Port completed the scoring with five on the clock when Andrew Bobbin received the ball forty metres out and showed enough steam and pace to get across the tryline. Johnson ended his perfect day with the boot and Port had scored a runaway 42-10 victory over Corrimal.
Port’s display was polished given the cold and blustery conditions. Clint
Hill had a monster of a game, Johno Johnson was at his usual best, and
Andrew Bobbin directed forward traffic well. Jeff Hardy was solid in his
first game back for Port and will no doubt be a handy addition to a Port
side which will face Collegians, Thirroul and Wests in the semi finals.
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| RESERVE GRADE - Port Kembla 38 def. Corrimal 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Port entered their match against Corrimal aware that a win would elevate them into the top four with games remaining against fellow top four contenders Dapto, Thirroul and Collegians. Troy Fleming broke the line ten his own side of halfway and headed towards the Cougar’s try line. Running into a strong headwind, Fleming almost looked like he was running in slow motion and was caught by the chasers fifteen metres short of the line. It was Ben Carr who crossed first when he went on a stepping run ten metres out from the try line, stretching at the last minute to score under the posts for Wayne Harvey to convert. Harvey threw a good ball to a rampaging Luke Roberts who crossed in the sixteenth minute, the conversion wide for Port to lead 10-0. Victor Daly did it all himself to run forty metres and score under the posts in the nineteenth minute, Harvey’s conversion making the scoreline 16-0. Paul Denniss returned to Port from the bench and made his presence felt in the 26th minute when he crawled over unattended for an easy try. Harvey converted to give a half time scoreline of 22-0. Ben Carr crossed for his second try of the game from close range two minutes into the second half and Daniel Ryman added another in the tenth minute. Wayne Harvey converted one of the two tries and Port held a 32-0 lead over Corrimal. The next ten minutes went from one end of the field to the other, Corrimal putting together their best sets of play in the game to this stage. Port’s commitment in this period increased, the defence swarming to contain an improving Cougar’s side. Both sides struggled to breach their opposition’s defences, the game becoming a grinding encounter taking it’s toll on the energy levels of the players on field. The final five minutes of the game typified this as the teams started to make more errors than their respective coaches would have liked. Matt Skora provided some excitement when he barged and bounced his way on a twenty metre run, taking the ball to within five metres of scoring a try. Unfortunately, the ball was lost by Port on the next tackle and Corrimal were let off the hook. Port had one last chance to score when with a minute remaining, Corrimal turned possession over to Port. On the second tackle, Matt Richards answered the spectators calling and split the defensive line to cross fifteen to the left of the uprights. Harvey converted and Port won the game by 38-0.
For
Port, Paul Denniss had a productive game in his return to the playing
field. Ben Carr was a handful for the defence all game, while Troy Fleming
continues to impress out wide. Matt Skora is developing into a handy and
rugged front rower for The Blacks, and Don Kane was as safe as always at
the back of the squad.
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| UNDER 18's - Port Kembla 4 lost to Dapto 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Wollongong Asphalt Under 18’s relinquished their top position on the competition table when beaten by a brave and gallant Dapto side. Both teams ended the game short on playing personnel with The Blacks having one player sent from the field, and Dapto two, just three minutes into the second half. A strong breeze greeted both teams, favouring the team running north on Noel Mulligan Oval. The game started ominously for Port with a knock on from the kick-off. Dapto was the first team on the scoreboard through a penalty goal to Trent Grundy in the fifth minute of the game. The Blacks came close to scoring in the seventh and ninth minutes of the half, but on both occasions, errors late in the tackle count thwarted their progress. Twelve minutes into the half, Keith Lulia kicked for his chasers on the last tackle, just on the halfway line. Lulia regathered his own kick and made it to the Dapto ten metre line before throwing an inside ball to Matt Michalowski which was not handled by the Black’s five-eighth. Instead, it was Dapto who crossed two minutes later through back rower Steve Campbell from close range. Grundy converted for an 8-0 lead to Dapto after fifteen minutes of play. With the assistance of the strong tail wind, Dapto controlled good field position for most of the opening term, pegging Port within their own territory for most of it. Port were pinned in their own in goal twice in the space of five minutes, but their scrambling defence kept them in the game, going into the half time break just eight points down. Three minutes into the second stanza and a melee broke out involving almost all of the on-field players. Tempers ran high and the referee addressed the issue by giving Kane Armstrong (Port Kembla), Luke Thompson (Dapto) and Anthony Saur (Dapto) their marching orders for their participation in the scuffle. All three will have an anxious wait at the judiciary on Monday night before knowing whether they can take their place for the return clash between the two sides next week at Dapto Showground. Port tried in vain to cross the Dapto line with Troiano bundled into touch half a metre short of the line in the ninth minute of play. Then, with one man less than The Blacks, the well drilled Canaries outfit found space down the left side, sending fullback Ian Catania over in the corner to extend Dapto’s lead to twelve after twelve minutes of play. Troiano was dragged into touch agonisingly close to the Dapto line for a second time, twenty one minutes into the half. The touch judge advised the referee that the tackle was continued after it’s effect, Port receiving a penalty virtually on the Canary’s try line. The advantage given to the Blacks was sort lived with the ball dropped on the first tackle. Two minutes later Christian Kupenga kicked behind the Dapto defence on the fourth tackle, Ellis Dale diving at full stretch to touch down in the corner. Keith Lulia was unable to make the sideline conversion and Dapto led Port by 12-4 with nine minutes of play remaining. It wasn’t Port’s day though, intermittent glimpses of the form that had taken them to the top of the table punctuated by too many mistakes, often early in the tackle count. It was Dapto who completed the scoring with two minutes remaining when winger Darren Blinksall was on the end of a backline movement, again somehow finding an overlap against a team with a one man advantage to score the try. Grundy’s sideline conversion attempt went agonisingly close, hitting the crossbar but in the end being waved away by the touch judges. Dapto won the game 16-4. The Canaries showed what it takes to win these games, maintaining their form and composure even when they lost two to send offs. Port, in contrast, failed to follow any set plan, but will be able to learn a lot from this game, particularly given that they will face Dapto again at Dapto showground next week. For Port, Joseph Gander was awarded the player’s player
vote, with Keith Lulia another standout in a losing team. Captain Anthony
Harris played well upfront, but Port lacked their customary go forward.
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