14-man East Coast too good for Thames Valley

EAST COAST 19 - THAMES VALLEY 15

Playing with 14 men for 60 minutes, East Coast produced a tremendous effort to beat Thames Valley 19-15 in their NPC second division match at Paeroa today.

East Coast No 8 and captain Horrace Lewis received his marching orders for stomping an opponent at a rucky in the 20th minute following a touch judge's report.

The remaining East Coast forwards accepted the challenge, with flanker Israel Aupouri leading the way.

They were quicker to the ball and controlled it better to give first five-eighth Mano Flutey space and he used the first-half wind well with 50m clearances. Three penalties to Flutey gave his side a 9-0 lead at halftime.

Tries to second five-eighth Marty Lloyd and winger James Ehau early in the second spell extended the visitors' lead to 19-3.

Thames Valley started to get an edge on the East Coast pack and were rewarded when halfback Kyle O'Brien slipped over for a try. Right on the fulltime whistle, substitute winger Gerard Veguurs, a former Holland international, scored out wide to give Thames Valley a bonus point.

Result: East Coast 19 (Marty Lloyd, James Ehau tries; Mano Flutey 3 pen) Thames Valley 15 (Kyle O'Brien, Gerard Veguurs tries; Terri Rahui pen, con). Halftime: East Coast 9-0.

- NZPA