Any hope of Kamo Premiers celebrating a victory at their 2013 club day was ruined when Will Whetton scored a NRL-style try in the corner to give Mid Northern a 26-21 victory.
A pinpoint cross kick by first-five eighths Sione Kite picked out the Northland loosie lurking out wide andhe outjumped two Kamo defenders to pull in the ball and score the winning try in the final minute.
It was just the start to the second round of the Bayleys Real Estate Premier Club competition that Mid Northern were hoping for following their first round defeat at Hukerenui.
"Kamo beat us in the first round and the boys were really looking forward to settling the score, so we were all pretty rapt with the result," coach Craig Edwards said.
Saturday's wet weather had a big say in the game with a slippery ball causing a high error count, with both sides playing for territory and then attempting to build pressure and force mistakes.
Mid Northern's less fancied forward pack matched their Kamo opposites at the set piece but the weather forced the visitors away from their game plan.
Hooker Jordan Olsen had a great game, scoring the first try, with prop Rhys Williams also outstanding up against Northland regular Matt Wallis. Fullback Kadin Te Nana was the other tryscorer.
The win leaves Mid Northern eight points clear in the standings but Edwards said while he is happy with the team's progress; there is still some way to go.
Edwards said the attitude and commitment of the team are two of their most promising features.
"Leading the competition brings its own problems with every team wanting to knock us off but the boys like the pressure, the more pressure on them, the better they seem to play," he said.
Old Boys Marist pushed past Kamo into second place after defeating Waipu 42-7. Mid Western are in fourth place after beating Wellsford 16-6, while Hora Hora also had a valuable away win by beating the Western Sharks in Dargaville.
Otamatea notched up their second win of the season by beating Hikurangi to make the competition at the bottom of the table more interesting, with the three bottom teams now within a point of each other.
In the Premier Reserve grade, Mid Northern handed their Kamo opposites their first defeat of the season. Despite the 10-12 loss, Kamo still top the standings but are now joined on 43 points by perennial rivals the Western Sharks, who accounted for a spirited Hora Hora side 23-17.
