Single point covers top four clubs

IT is tight at the top of the Citizens Shield and the top four clubs are separated by a solitary point after the fourth round of play on Saturday.

Old Boys, Excelsior and Valley are coleaders with 15 points, followed one point further back by Maheno.

Excelsior caused the biggest boilover when it ended Old Boys’ unbeaten run with a convincing 257 win.

Excelsior scored first, after five minutes, when a break by No 8 Mosese Aho sent prop Will Sunderland in for an unconverted try.

Old Boys took the lead when lock Paea Ala burst over and Inoke Naufahu converted. A Tom Moysey penalty five minutes from halftime gave Excelsior an 87 lead at halftime.

Six minutes into the second spell Excelsior’s centre, Taina Tamou, was given space and he scored an unconverted try.

Excelsior halfback Tarn Crow then scuttled over for a try.

Old Boys forward Seti Hallalele was redcarded. Excelsior made the most of it and lock Hayden James crashed over for Moysey to convert.

Valley and Kurow were locked up 12all in the first half before tries to Brad McKenzie and prop Logan Dunlop, one of which McKenzie converted, took Valley to a 2412 lead at halftime.

The game lost some of its momentum in the final 40 minutes. Vinny Smith scored an unconverted try for Valley, for a 2912 win.

Maheno retained the McKenzieCraik Challenge Cup when it defeated Athletic Marist 587 at the Maheno Domain.

Maheno piled on 27 points in the first half, through tries to Forrest Beer (2), Adam Johnston, Robbie Smith and flanker Marcus Balchin. Smith added a solitary conversion. Maheno continued this momentum in the second half, the greenandblacks adding a further five tries.

Athletic Marist’s points came from a try to Kaulelei Finau and a Mason Kinzett conversion.