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Pukekohe have beaten arch-rivals Patumahoe for the first time since 2020 and put the McNamara Cup on notice after knocking over the top two sides in the competition in consecutive weeks.

If Michael Porter’s side wasn’t already being considered competition contenders, they will be now after handing Patumahoe their first loss in round robin play since 2021 and picking up the Counties Power Cup in the process.

The home side shot out of the blocks early with a pair of tries and never looked back as they continued to tack on points with regularity.

“We started really well and were able to hold onto the ball and build phases,” a delighted Porter told Counties Sports Hub.

“Full credit to Patty and the good side they are they came back at us and put us under pressure.

“It was definitely a good 80-minute effort from the lads.”

Just a solitary point separates the top three sides (Karaka 21, Patumahoe 20, Pukekohe 20) with one weekend of fixtures to go in the first round.

Bombay held off a fast-finishing Manurewa side to secure a crucial 29-28 win at Bombay Domain.

The home side made a strong start and grabbed a comfortable 20-point advantage before defending premiers came storming back in the second spell.

Jeremy Clark’s side managed to get in front momentarily, but Bombay were able to snatch back the lead and hold on for victory.

“For the last few weeks, we have been a 40-minute team where we do well and then fall off in the second half,” Bombay coach Mike Tuiloma said.

“Our goal was just to improve our second half and try close out the game. That’s still a big work-on as we were lucky to come away with that game.

“Our set piece went well, and Shaun Atamu was a stand-out for us.”

Manurewa have a one point advantage over Bombay in the battle for fourth spot on the table.

Papakura survived an almighty scare from Ardmore Marist to secure a 23-15 win at Bruce Pulman Park and keep themselves within touching distance of the top four.

Fullback Boston Franklyn was the star of the show once again, scoring all 23 points for the visitors in the form of six penalties and another solo try.

Leading 9-0 just before halftime, Papakura conceded a pair of tries to the home side on the stroke of halftime.

Felipo Levi’s side had their chances and probably left a couple of tries out on the park that could have had a significant impact on the overall result.

Still, his side is showing improvement and a willingness to battle in a challenging season.

“An ugly win is obviously better than a loss. We made it hard on ourselves,” Papakura coach Mark Thomas said.

“Pretty pleased for the lads and good for the confidence levels for the lads.

“Our resilience – down 10-9 at halftime – we tried to play territory in the second half. We kept repelling them and bounced back and it is a good sign for a young team to show some resilience and get back in front and play from in front.”

Ardmore Marist picked up the win in the Bob Chandler Cup Premier Reserves competition as they defeated Papakura 24-12 in the curtain-raiser.

Bombay edged Manurewa 15-14 in a tight battle up the hill while Patumahoe moved into a share of the competition lead with a comfortable 48-26 win over Pukekohe.

Drury had to fight back from a first half deficit to keep their unbeaten record in the Sid Marshall Shield and secure a 21-12 victory over Te Kohanga at Drury Domain.

Defending champions Puni blanked Manurewa 23-0 at Mountfort Park while Weymouth scored a walk-over win against Tuakau.

On Thursday night Onewhero picked up a win to keep themselves in the thick of the top four battle with a 15-7 defeat of Maramarua at Onewhero Domain while Waiuku proved too strong for Patumahoe with a 36-10 victory at Rugby Park.

Drury, Weymouth, Puni and Waiuku hold the top four spots on the ladder, with Te Kohanga, Te Kauwhata and Onewhero nipping at their heels.

Karaka have underlined their dominance of the Massey Cup U21 grade with a convincing 39-6 win over second-placed Pukekohe at Karaka Sports Complex.

The defending champions have now beaten all five teams in the grade and hold a comfortable lead atop the standings.

Manurewa hammered Patumahoe 47-7 at Patumahoe to leapfrog their opponents into third place on the ladder.

Papakura secured a 12-0 win over Ardmore Marist at Bruce Pulman Park.

Patumahoe picked up a 48-12 win over AU Legends in the National U85 Club competition to book a spot in the second round.