Bay slay long Portland run

Portland Panthers' winning streak came to an abrupt end when a pumped Bay Slayers narrowly defeated their hosts 30-34 in a tumultuous clash at Portland.
The unbeaten Panthers were on a high heading into the round seven Whangarei City and Districts Rugby League clash on Saturday, and to get one over the Panthers was satisfying for Slayers' manager Justin Webster.
"We are really happy with the way we are going, but it's early days yet - we'll just keep doing what we are doing ... but in saying that we will take the win with pleasure - it's the first time we have won at Portland as the Slayers," Webster said.
The hosts looked unbeatable in the opening 10 minutes, getting away to a commanding 18-0 lead, with centre Jordan Katene scoring a try and Michael Salase crossing the chalk for a double - all three tries were converted by Charles Shelford.
However, the Slayers quickly found their stride and started to chip away at the at the score margin.
By the break, Slayers had come back to trail Portland 18-16, thanks to strong defensive efforts from player/coach Troy Alderton and prop Peta Falonga, along with impressive attack from Stefan Baggaley and Anthony Clyde who both scored during the first half.
The Slayers came back strong in the second half, with a point to prove. A couple of early tries from Dayne Ritchie, Walter Heremia and Dan Rakana put them in the lead and they took control of the game and dominated possession. Missed tackles and loose ball did not help Portland's cause but they dug deep late in the piece to strike back with three tries - a third from Salase, one from Ngawaru Munroe plus two more Shelford conversions to close the gap.
But the Slayers held on, and nabbed a four point vital victory. While it was disappointing to lose, Portland coach Craig Bird saw the positives in the play his team produced.
"Our hooker Charles Shelford and prop Josh Poasa really stood up when our backs were against the wall and our centres Jordan Katene and Thomas Henare played well," he said.
Bird said he was not blaming anyone for the loss, but looking at it as a learning experience against a team he rated highly. "Any team with Boo (Anthony) Clyde (former Kaikohe stand off) in it is dangerous. They really structured the game around him and would feint to one side, leaving his side open to attack from, which is exactly what Kaikohe did last year. Meanwhile, in other round seven matches, Marist came close to their first win of the season after a few years out of the competition, drawing 26-26 with the Hokianga Pioneers at Jubilee Park, while Otaua, who are also still searching for their first win this season, lost by only eight points (40-32) to City, at Otangarei.
Wairoa Bulls snatched an important win over Moerewa 28-20 at Dargaville, boosting their confidence another notch, while Hikurangi stomped on last year's premiers Kaikohe, who are struggling to find their early season form and defeated them 58-16 at Otaika Sports Ground. Takahiwai had the bye.