Cook Islands look to play an expansive game in touch footy action at Bisini Grounds. Photo: Rex Kia
By Samuel Kehatsin, Games News Service
PORT MORESBY, July 6 – Samoa and Papua New Guinea men’s and women’s teams chalked up good wins in the last of the touch footy round robin games at the Port Moresby 2015 Pacific Games on Monday.
In the men’s match-ups, both sides showed great ball skills, set plays and defence in recording two wins each at the Bisini Grounds venue.
Samoa accounted for Cook Islands 8-2 and Tuvalu 14-1 while it was one-way traffic when PNG beat Tuvalu 18-0 and then outclassed Tonga 14-1. The locals brought the big crowd to its feet every time they sparked an attack, and there were plenty of them.
After losing to Samoa, Cook Islands regrouped to beat Kiribati 14-5 after Tonga had earlier defeated the Kiribatians 7-3 in its first game of the day.
But the most vital game of the day turned out to be the last of the day: Solomon Islands’ 10-4 win against Tuvalu. The result left Solomons Islands, Tuvalu and Tonga tied on two wins and three losses, but Solomon Islands progressed to the final four on points difference.
Awaiting them is a red-hot PNG side while Samoa takes on Cook Islands in the second semifinal.
In the women’s competition, Gabrielle Apelu topscored with six touchdowns as Samoa beat Tonga 21-1 while PNG thrashed Kiribati 25-1.
It could set up a second gold medal showdown between Samoa and PNG as they now take on Cook Islands and Kiribati respectively in Tuesday’s women’s semifinals.
Winners of the semifinals will play off for gold while the losers go for bronze.
The morning semifinal action begins at 09:00 with the women’s gold medal game at 14:00 and the men’s final following an hour later.
GNS sk/pg
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