Mid Northern dominance not reflected by match scoreline

There was nothing middling about competition leaders Mid Northern's performance on Saturday as they beat Mid Western 20-13 at Maungakaramea.
The score didn't tell the full story of the game. The visitors dominated play from the very start and rarely let up, confirming their favouritism for the title against the team that started the day in second place.
"It was the kind of performance we were looking for, there was good calling and good defence and we were pretty happy that we played 80 minutes out there - we haven't done that for a long time," captain Karaan Going said.
Going was stand-in captain with Nick Lake on the sideline with a niggle but the side - even without Lake - has strengthened since the start of the season and will be even more formidable when the injured return.
David Howell was in great form with his kicking forcing the home side back deep into their own half each time they threatened to break out. Mid Western were starved of possession almost from the outset and looked like they were just holding on for much of the match after making too many energy-sapping tackles.
Mid Northern built up the pressure with patience,  racking up the phases and probing for holes in their opposition's defence.
Prop Dylan Horn scored the first try midway through the spell and fullback Clint Going capped off a good half with a second, moments before  halftime to make it 13-3 at the break. Mid Western tried to mount a surge after the break but were only rewarded by another Luke Muggeridge penalty and when the captain crossed in the corner - again after a patient build-up - it was curtains for Mid Western.
Mid Western failed to use what possession they had effectively and went wide too often and that played right into Mid Northern's hands, their captain Adam Clarke said.
"They've got a good drift defence and we never really drew their players in and committed them. Then they'd turn us over and we'd get penalised," he said.
Clarke managed to break through the Mid Northern defence to score his side's only try, just after flanker Andrew Ritchie was sinbinned, making it two Mid Northern players behind the goalposts in the final quarter.
Although they closed the gap to seven points, Mid Northern's win was never in question. Ritchie was unlucky to be trapped on the wrong side of the ruck shortly after referee Zeniff Haika had issued a general warning. Scotty Smith's yellow card was almost as innocuous but Karaan Going was pleased with the way his side reacted to the referee's decisions.
"There was a very good atmosphere out there amongst our boys, even with only 13 of us on the field it turned out to be a good test of character so I was pretty happy with that with the semifinals coming up next week," he said.
Mid Northern  take on fourth-placed Wellsford while Mid Western play Hora Hora next week.