Red Star shock Coasters

Shock waves rippled through the Wairarapa-Bush premier division rugby competition on Saturday with previously unbeaten East Coast having their colours lowered by Masterton Red Star and Eketahuna defying the odds with a big win over Pioneer.
Masterton Red Star coach Corie Karaitiana was "rapt to bits" by his team's 15-3 win over defending champions East Coast at Whareama.
With eight players sidelined with injury problems Masterton Red Star's playing resources were stretched to the limits and they actually finished with just 14 players on the paddock, first-five Byron Karaitiana being sent off by referee Chris Jefferies for a high tackle about 10 minutes from the game's end.
Before that, however, Karaitiana had left his mark on the match with four penalty goals and yet another Karaitiana, Justin, landed a fifth penalty for Masterton Red Star in the closing stages.
The forward battle was a physical one with East Coast having the better in the scrums but Masterton Red Star dominating the looser aspects through the efforts of Chris Senior and Jordan Sutherland.
Both backlines struggled to get any fluency into their attacking game with the standout player there being Masterton Red Star fullback Ronald Mita, who defended stoutly.
Byron Karaitiana (4) and Justin Karaitiana kicked penalty goals for Masterton Red Star and Nick Olson kicked one penalty for East Coast.
Eketahuna had just the one win to show for their previous efforts this season when they arrived at the Park Sportsground to take on a Pioneer team already being touted as serious contenders for the premier division title but reputation counted for nought in the end result, Eketahuna scoring three tries to one and winning by a handsome 31-5.
Sully Alsop, Kane Broughton and A. Copp were the try-scorers for Eketahuna with Graeme Cremen putting the icing on the cake with two conversions and four penalties. Lee Ewe scored Pioneer's only try.
Wellington referee Hamish Mexted won't be on Carterton's Christmas card list despite their 18-17 win over Marist in the match played at Memorial Park on Saturday.
Mexted caned Carterton relentlessly for alleged misdemeanours in the forward exchanges and forced them to play at least a quarter of the game with 14 men through the sin-binning of Brock Price in the first half and Sam Howie in the second.
Many of the penalties awarded Marist came in kickable positions but while young first-five Kahu Matenga landed four of them he also missed at least that many, as well as a sideline conversion late in the game which would have put his team's nose in front.
It did speak volumes for Carterton's resolve though that while their body language often showed their confusion and frustration at Mexted's rulings they stuck to their task well enough to scrape a victory.
Tomasi Kedrabuka and Reece Lett scored tries for Carterton and Jono Hurley kicked two penalties and one conversion. Daniel Blong scored Marist's try and Kahu Matenga kicked four penalty goals.
Greytown picked up the maximum five competition points with their 30-20 win over Gladstone with Senoa Isaac scoring two of their tries and others going to Mike Hollis and Hamish Meyrick.
Richard Oakley kicked two penalties and two conversions. Sean Bicknell, D. Fricker and R. Kjestrup scored tries for Gladstone and Jason Kjestrup kicked one penalty and one conversion.
Martinborough had to work overtime for their 15-8 victory over a gutsy Puketoi at Pongaroa. Matthew O'Neale and S. Larkin and Keiran Te Whare scored tries for Martinborough while Puketoi's points came from a Richard Fleming try and Jason Liverton penalty.