SPORTS DIGEST: Winners are grinning across the Shire
Around the Grounds
The Reef Raiders have held on for a stirring 15-10 victory against Baron Trinity Bulls in their final Far North Queensland Rugby Union minor round home game of the season.
Despite not scoring one try, the Raiders held on to the ball for large parts of the game, with the golden boot of Luke Edwards proving the difference from the penalty line.
There were some concerns on the Port Douglas bench at halftime after two Trinity players were sent off in the first half for time in the sin bin, but despite being two players up, the Raiders could not breach the strong Bulls defensive line.
But they still held a narrow lead, and dug deep in the second half as Trinity threw everything at them.
The bigger-bodied Bulls finally pushed their way across the tryline from a line-out, setting up a thrilling finish.
When the final whistle blew, an exhausted Raiders outfit celebrated in true style in the centre of the field, knowing their finals hopes were back on track with their second win in a row putting a mid-season form slump well behind.
Best players included Edwards, big forward Maika Raivaroro and scrum-half playmaker Jun Kaneshiro.
The Raiders play Cairns Wanderers in Cairns on Saturday from 5pm.
AFL Cairns
Port Douglas Crocs retained top spot on the ladder with a hard-fought nine-point win against South Cairns Cutters on the road.
The Crocs maintained a slender lead all day, but the Cutters refused to give in, winning the last quarter, but ultimately losing 9.15 (69) to 8.12 (60).
Best players were Thomas Cantwell, Sam Fairclough, Brett Mckeown, Kye Chapple, Murphy Short and Ben Mcphee, while Chapple kicked five goals and Mckeown two.
The Crocs women reversed the result in fine fashion against the same team they played at the same venue the week before.
In a quirk of the draw, Port Douglas played the Cutters away two weeks in a row, but the second week resulted in a 26-point win, compared to an 18-point loss the previous week.
The final score on Saturday was 4.8 (32) to 1.0 (6), with Jaimi Byrne, Caity Walsh, Kayla McInerney, Laura Waldron, Grace Lanigan and Luca Roulstone named as best.
McInerney kicked two goals.
The Port Douglas senior teams are away to Cairns Saints this Saturday, with the women first up at 11am.
Rugby league
The Mossman Sharks triumphed 24-18 away against the Innisfail Leprechauns in Far North Queensland Rugby League action.
Innisfail scored the first try, but the Sharks hit back with four tries of their own.
The Leprechauns scored two late tries to put some more respectability on the scoreboard.
Try scorers for Mossman were Gabriel Stephen, Tyler Pearce, Kalani Anau and Kieshon Hunter-Flanders, while Robert Amber kicked all four conversions.
Mossman is away to the Kangaroos this Sunday from 3pm.
Lawn bowls
Mossman Men's Jackpot Bowls results Saturday, July 19: Bernard Savage, Richard Anderson & Troy Churchill W 4; Mike Sims, Frank Rigoir & Brian Williams W 5; Bill Allison, Daryl Hoskins & Eric Smith W 6 and winners on the day Peter Worley, Wayne Parkes & Bill Smith W 9.
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