Malifa Taeleipu helped Endeavour Hills record its first win of 2008 at Frog Hollow Reserve on Saturday.By Marc McGowan
ENDEAVOUR Hills responded to last week’s dismal performance with a nail-biting 18-17 triumph over Boroondara in Victorian Rugby Union Premier One action at Frog Hollow Reserve on Saturday.
It was the club’s first victory this season and may signal the end of a horror run that saw them lose the opening two matches this year and 10 of the final 11 games in 2007.
But a positive result looked a long way away when the Hills fell 10-0 behind in the first 15 minutes.
Endeavour Hills star Tim Finau pegged the score back with consecutive penalty goals and an Oge Toala try just before half-time handed the home side an 11-10 edge.
On resumption, Toala intercepted a pass and ran 40 metres for his second try of the afternoon before adding the extra points off his own boot.
Boasting an 18-10 advantage, Endeavour Hills looked set to comfortably end its win drought, but some sloppy defence with two minutes left on the clock suddenly put the result in doubt.
A Boroondara try and subsequent conversion made it a one-point contest, but the Hills hung on to take the points.
Hooker/prop Setu Felise and Toala were Endeavour Hills’ standout players.
Finau did not complete the fixture after a tackle left him with a neck injury.
Hills coach Jeff Lemalu was thrilled with his team’s effort.
“The communication between the players is starting to work,” he said.
“We’ve been spending the last four weeks together and now it’s starting to work well and the boys turned up to play from the word go and were switched on.”
Despite the tense final moments Lemalu was confident his squad could hold on.
“As a coach, you never think the game is over until the last whistle is blown,” he said.
“But I knew that Boroondara had left it too late to comeback.”
The senior side’s achievement capped a brilliant weekend for the club, which enjoyed wins in the Premier Three and Masters competitions and in the 12s, 14s and 16s age groups in the VRU Junior Tens Tournament at Box Hill.
There are three games at Frog Hollow Reserve on Saturday, starting with the under-18s playing Footscray at 10.45am.
Endeavour Hills’ Premier Three and One teams play Melton and Footscray at 1.30pm and 3.15pm respectively.
