The Wyong Roos have maintained their position inside the top four of the Intrust Super Premiership NSW when they scored a solid 30-12 win over an error-riddled Wentworthville Magpies at Morry Breen Oval this afternoon.
In a match punctuated by far too many errors on both sides, the Roos made the most of their chances to be in front all day after establishing a 12-6 lead at half-time.
After a tight opening period, Wyong centre Paul Momirovski opened the scoring when he finished off a neat short sided move down the left for the game’s first try and a 6-0 lead after Mitch Cornish’s conversion.
Wyong doubled the lead eight minutes later when backrower pounced on a Cornish kick in goal that was not defused by the Wentworthville back brigade to score and have the home side up 12-0 after Cornish again added the extras.
The Magpies got back into the game on the back of Wyong turnover ball when interchange forward Sam Gorman crashed over from close range for Wenty’s first try in the 28th minute.
Jamal Fogarty converted and while the visitors could not convert their chances they created late in the first stanza, Wyong held a 12-6 lead at the break.
After another tight arm wrestle to start the second half, Wyong centre Matt Ikuvalu laid on a superb short ball nine minutes into the second stanza for five-eighth Jayden Nikorima to streak away to score near the posts.
With Cornish coming off the field at half-time with a hip injury and not coming out for the second half, Nikorima added the extras for Wyong to lead 18-6.
The Roos then put the game beyond doubt when winger Chris Centrone scored a double in the 58th and 63rd minutes in finishing off sweeping back line movements directly from Wentworthville turnovers.
Nikorima converted both tries and the Roos to hold a match winning 30-6 lead with 15 minutes left.
Wentworthville never gave up and had the last word five minutes from time when half Will Smith finished off one of the few moves the Magpies executed to score under the posts. Fogarty converted to make the final score respectable for the visitors.
Wyong now face up to a top of the table showdown with the North Sydney Bears this Easter Thursday night at North Sydney Oval, while the Magpies will try to get back to the winner’s list against Canterbury-Bankstown at Belmore Sports Ground on Easter Saturday.
Wyong Roos 30 (C Centrone 2, P Momirovski, C Smith, J Nikorima tries; J Nikorima 3, M Cornish 2 goals) def Wentworthville Magpies 12 (S Gorman, W Smith tries; J Fogarty 2 goals)
