Reaction from Ngongotaha's win over Waikite at the Ngongotaha Domain on Saturday.
Ngongotaha keep their promotion dreams alive with a thrilling derby win giving them their first back-to-back wins in Premier 2.
They beat Waikite 24-22 on Saturday, at Ngongotaha Domain, in round six of the competition, having to come from a 17-12 deficit at half-time.
They slid over for four tries with two Tute Grant conversions.
Ngongotaha coach Jodie Wharekura said a strong forward pack and scrum were the key to their bonus points win.
"The forwards had to perform against Waikite, and maintain pressure for 80 minutes. If they don't in these games you just aren't going to get anywhere," he said.
Shortly after No.8 Alby King crashed over from close range after powerful forward work, with a Grant conversion - taking the score to 12-0 after 20 minutes.
But Waikite responded when scrum-half Devo Bevai impressively broke through Ngongotaha's defensive line to touch down under the post with a Carlo Putaranui conversion.
Putaranui kicked a penalty shortly after to keep his side in touch and with four minutes to go before half-time winger Kuhu Hawei bulldozed over after patient forward build up.
Ngongotaha levelled up the score shortly after the restart through captain Courtney Mita. And cheered on by noisy home support the home side then began to off load the ball quicker and forced Waikite into mistakes.
Waikite halfback Devo Bevai impressed for his side in their defeat against local rivals Ngongotaha. PHOTO/BEN FRASER.
Ngongotaha's persistence paid off with the try of the game when Thorne Chadwick ran onto a neat high King kick with 14 minutes to go with a crucial Grant conversion.
Waikite battled hard and gave themselves hope through a Jake Marsters try with 3 minutes to go but Putaranui was unable to kick a difficult angled conversion.
The away side rushed play in the dying stages of the game enabling Ngongotaha to cling on to a nail biting victory.
"We botched about three or four tries at the end. We just didn't complete the final passes. Over anxious I suppose," said Waikite head coach Carl Marsters.
"We just needed to be a lot more clinical. We started to play their game and that's what they were trying to do."
The result leaves Ngongotaha with an outside chance of making a top four play-off spot, but they must secure a bonus points win against an impressive Whakarewarewa side away in the final round of the competition next weekend.
"You might have possession but if you can only string together three or four phases then you aren't going to crack them," he said.
"When we did get to our fifth phase we either got a penalty or pressure them into some points. We just couldn't manage to do that for long periods today."
Despite the loss Hohneck says there will be no problem getting his team motivated for their crucial home clash against top of the table Mount Maunganui next weekend.
"We love playing the Mount and we are a good enough team to beat anyone when we play to our strengths," he said.
Elsewhere in Premier 1 at the Tauranga Domain Te Puna defeated Tauranga Sports in a major upset.
Whilst defending champions Tauranga Sports lacked urgency and commitment in the final 15 minutes to lose at the Domain to Rangataua Sports last week and again they fell short on their home patch.
The result just adds to the intrigue that is the 2016 Baywide Premier 1 season, with six teams now in the play-offs mix with just next weekend's round robin games to go.
Additional reporting Peter White.
Results:
Baywide Premier 1 Results:
Te Puke 33 Rotoiti 20 Mount Maunganui 34 Greerton Marist 32 Rangataua 34 Whakatane Marist 5 Tauranga Sports 3 Te Puna 5
