Norths Tigers defeated Goodna Eagles 31-18 in the Ipswich Rugby League Mayor Paul Pisasale A-Grade Cup on Sunday.
Goodna and Norths went into the game with a top-two spot there for the taking.
It was clear from the early stages of the match that both teams highly valued the two-points on offer.
In the fourth minute of the match Goodna put up a towering kick only for Norths winger Anava Fesolai to catch the ball under pressure before running 80-metres to score the opening try of the match.
After receiving the kickoff after Fesolai’s try, Norths made an error coming out of their own territory and were penalised in their own 20-metre area.
Goodna then made the Tigers pay for conceding the penalty, when Eagles halfback Corey Kirk fended-off multiple Norths defenders before scoring under the posts to level the scores at 6-all.
Responding positively to Goodna’s challenge, Norths shot out to a 10-point lead in the 18th minute after tries to Andrew Campbell and Anava Fesolai.
Goodna’s attitude did not drop after falling behind by 10-points and they were able to cut Norths’ lead down to four-points by halftime after Fili Ioane scored for the Eagles.
In the first 10-minutes of the second-half both teams looked promising with the opportunities they were creating.
It wasn’t until the 53rd minute that the first points of the second-half were scored, when Kane Fuller dived over from dummy-half for Norths to extend the Tigers’ lead to 22-12.
With 15-minutes of play remaining Jarrod Biggs kicked a penalty-goal for Norths to give the Tigers a lead of two-converted tries.
The next time Norths got to Goodna’s end of the field, Biggs was called on again for the Tigers, this time to kick a drop-goal to put Norths 13-points ahead at 25-12.
When Goodna halfback Corey Kirk scored in the 69th minute it looked like a Goodna comeback might have been on the cards.
But Ritchie Lowe sealed the game for Norths when he scored a try in the 78th minute to give Norths a 31-18 win over Goodna to move the Tigers into second place on the Ipswich Rugby League Mayor Paul Pisasale A-Grade Cup ladder.
In the other Ipswich Rugby League Mayor Paul Pisasale A-Grade Cup round 17 games; Brothers sealed the minor premiership with a 30-14 win over Fassifern and West End defeated Swifts 38-20.
