Eastern Tornadoes Snatch Win Over
Otahuhu Ellerslie

The Eastern Tornadoes snuck a 15/14 win over Otahuhu Ellerslie today at a wet and windy Ericsson Stadium number two ground, in their Bartercard Cup match

The conditions were certainly not conducive to expansive football and the game was played accordingly. It was thirty minutes into the first half before Otahuhu Ellerslie scored the first points of the game through a try to Full Back, Toshio Laiseni.

With about five minutes to go Centre, Tala Paleaasina, scored for Otahuhu Ellerslie and we went to the spell with the Tornadoes down 8 nil. It had been a funny old half. There was a fairly fierce northerly blowing at the Toradoes back, but they showed no signs of using it. Both sides defence had been fairly good and it remained to be seen if Otahuhu Ellerslie would use the wind.

It was early in the second half when speedy Tornadoes Half Back, Richard Marsters, claimed their first points through a try after a scrambling piece of play. Converted by Stand Off, Tumanako Boyce, 8/6, and this game was going, for all money, to go down to the wire. Ten minutes later, Marsters scores another. Converted again and the Tornadoes hit the front, 12/8.

Otahuhu Ellerslie Centre, John Tavaga, claimed the lead back with a try that was converted by Laiseni - 14/12. The Tornadoes get a penalty about twenty metres out from the Otahuhu Ellerslie line. They go for the two and it sails over sweetly, despite the wind. Fourteen points apiece with about ten minutes left. Both teams seem to lose direction and despite some good individual efforts, neither team are able to break the deadlock. Both teams are taking wrong options and it looks like we are heading for a draw.

With seconds left on the clock, the man of the half, Richard Marsters, snapped a field goal and the Tornadoes had snatched a win.