LEAGUE - Takahiwai defy pride of Lions

A late try to Para Murray allowed Takahiwai to maintain their unbeaten record at home this season with an exciting 36-32 victory over Kaikohe Lions on Saturday.
The match was an advertisement for Northland rugby league as both teams played with absolute dedication - and plenty of skill - for the full 80 minutes.
In a game that contained several twists and turns, it was no surprise that the winning of the match came down to the last five minutes.
Kaikohe levelled the scores at 32-all and all they had to do was claim the kickoff, complete their set and get to their kick and the match would have been over - but instead the awkward Gary Cooper kick was allowed to go dead in-goal.
Takahiwai, through the ever-present Murray, grabbed the lead and, although Kaikohe got the ball close to the Takahiwai line in their final set, they couldn't break through local team's defence.
Takahiwai now share the lead on the competition table with Portland, who had the bye this weekend, with Kaikohe falling back to a three-way tie for third place along with Ngawha Saints and defending champions Moerewa Tigers.
Takahiwai coach Mark Freeman was impressed with the level of skill displayed during the game by both teams.
"It was one of those games," he said.
"Len (Phillips), the referee, said it was one of the best games he has ever refereed in terms of quality, in the five or six years he's been up here.
"Kaikohe came at us from the get-go even though they had a disrupted lead-up to the game and they gave us the hardest run we've had this season," Freeman said.
The Kaikohe bus broke down on the way to the match, which meant the players were forced to change on the bus and were limited to a brief warm-up before the delayed kickoff.
If the delay unsettled Kaikohe they didn't show it and their forwards set a good platform for their backs to find gaps in the Takahiwai defence. Kaikohe fullback Te Atawhi Tahere was their standout in both attack and defence, while Takahiwai's left winger Cole Tarau scored four tries in the game.
"I'm rapt we got the two points out there. The game could easily have gone either way and we've still got plenty to work on, but you make your own luck in this game and that's what we did today," Freeman said.
In the other top-of-the-table encounter, Ngawha Saints narrowly defeated Hikurangi Stags 20-18.
Strengthened by the return of Steve Rau from injury, Hikurangi had the better of the first half to lead 14-8 at the break, but the Saints clawed their way back into the tense match and scored the winning try with just three minutes remaining.
Moerewa brought themselves back within range of the leaders with a 42-20 win over Marist, while the other new club on the 2008 season, the Bay Slayers, earned their first win with an impressive 44-12 victory over the Northern Wairoa Bulls.