| Semi v M Canty 1.30pm 13 Oct. |
| All photos on this page from pool game against Mid Canty used with the kind permission of Ashburton Online |
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| Magnificent Fightback snares final berth The mighty Butcher Boys turned up the heat on a game Mid Canty team in the 2nd forty to overturn a 3-12 deficit with around 20mins to go to run out 18-12 victors. With Wanganui turning with a strong but dying breeze at their backs in the 2nd stanza, stalwart prop Mike Thompson crossed the stripe with around ten to go from a well-worked lineout drive to put Wanganui 6 ahead, with mighty defense holding out repeated Mid Canty raids in the final minutes. Keep it here for all the final week coverage as we build to what promises to be a titanic match v Nth Otago, who beat Bush comfortably at home, 30-13. Radiosport will have the match feed live worldwide next Saturday. Sportal Report In Ashburton, Wanganui started the game strongly, and had Mid Canterbury wing Lloyd Carter not rushed off his line to attempt an interception, Wanganui would have opened the scoring in the second minute. The home team then spent time in Wanganui territory and took the lead through first five-eighths David Maw’s seventh minute penalty, after Wanganui sealed off the ball in a ruck. Fullback Daniel Hooper tied the match in the 18th minute, converting a penalty after South Canterbury were penalised for a cross-over at the back of a scrum. The trade of penalties continued three minutes later, Maw kicking a 52-metre penalty to put Mid Canterbury back into the lead. And Maw brought up 100 points for the season in the 30th minute, converting a penalty from left of the uprights in the Wanganui twenty-two. In the last seconds of the first-half, a brilliant break by first five-eighths Leon Mason almost created the first try for Wanganui, but a knock-on yards from the line allowed Mid Canterbury to clear and end the period. Both teams came out firing at the start of the second period. Maw added a fourth penalty in the 42nd minute as both teams created opportunities, only for handling to let them down. Wanganui cut the lead in the 61st minute with a penalty from Hooper, and then scored the first try in the 67th minute. Clean ball from the scrum and then two dummy runs created space and Hooper came into the line creating an overlap for left wing Brendan Bartley to score. And just three minutes later, Wanganui hit the front for the first time. A strong drive from a lineout allowed prop Mike Thompson to touch down. Hooper converted. Possession see-sawed in the last 10 minutes, but Mid Canterbury never created a clear-cut opportunity and Wanganui held on for the win. Scorers: Mid Canterbury 12 (David Maw, 4 pen) Wanganui 18 (Brendan Bartley, Mike Thompson tries; Daniel Hooper 2 pen, con). HT: 9-3 |
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| Butcher Boy hero Brendon Bartley repaid coach Haig's faith in him with a cruical try after regular wing Johnny Mow was ruled out through citing. |