LAUTOKA DEFEATED BY VISITING BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
Monday, 12 May 08, 13:19 PM
The touring Brigham Young University picked up win number two of their short tour with a stylish 2-0 victory over Lautoka in a friendly encounter at Churchill Park on Saturday.
The visitors were on fire against an unsettled Blues outfit scoring a goal in each half.
Ba recruits Niumaia Tagi and Laisenia Tuba made their debut in the Lautoka jersey but could not help the home side.
Valerio Nawatu failed to spark any openings in attack showing a lack of match fitness.
Lautoka fielded a full strength team but could not find its combinations.
Jone Vono Junior was substituted early after he failed to function on the left flank while the blues introduced former Fiji FA Footballer of the Year Salesh Sami off the bench but he also failed to find the target.
Arvindra Naidu and Joshua Wilson were the pick of the players for the home side, both coming close to finding the back of the net.
Naidu showed his class in the 10th minute with a solo run from inside his own territory.
The new find beat several defenders on his 60 metre run before driving his right footer straight into the hands of BYU goalkeeper Bryan Black.
BYU nearly scored in the 20th minute after a cross from Jordan Cushman found Steven Fellows lurking in the box.
Unfortunately for BYU, Fellows could not steer the ball into the right direction with his left foot.
Naidu got another chance to put Lautoka up in the 25th minute but his shot went wide. BYU found the opener from a defensive blunder.
Tuba was unable to clear a back pass with his shot hitting the back of Marika Madigi inside the box. Garrett Losee was in the right place at the right time to convert an easy tap in
Sami found space on the flank inside the opposition territory and sent in a timely cross into the box moments into the second spell.
However, Wilson's attempted left footer sailed away from the goalmouth. Against the run of play Curtis Graham missed an easy opportunity at the other end. Sami should have equalised in the 57th minute after he ran onto a through pass from Nawatu.
The nippy striker toed the ball past a diving Black but could not control it as it rolled out with the goalmouth empty.
Black made a grand save in the 62nd minute palming away a bullet shot from Wilson.
BYU sealed the win in the 70th minute when Brent Jensen caught Tuba napping with his low pile driver from 25 metres ricocheting off the upright and trickling to the back of the net.
Lautoka Football Association coach Dennis Singh said they would need to build the combinations with the new recruits coming in.
The BYU team lost to Ba 1-0 on Wednesday but bounced back to defeat the Fiji under-20 selection side 2-0 on Thursday.
The visitors will take on Suva in its final tour fixture tomorrow.
BYU: Bryan Black, Steven Fellows, Jordan Cushman, Daniel McKinley, Brent Jensen, Brett Osborne, Garrett Losee, Clay Christiansen, Drew VanWagenen, Morgan Gilliam, Curtis Graham.
Lautoka: Laisenia Tuba, Manueli Kalou, Alvin Avinesh, Arvindra Naidu, Marika Madigi, Joshua Wilson, Nuimaia Tagi, Valerio Nawatu, Muele Vuti, Malakai Waqa, Jone Vono Junior.
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I totally agree with you salesh, soccer in Fiji is geeting interesting. Its becoming like 80's when Ba, Nadi, Lautoka, labasa & Suva were ferociously contesting for the soccer titles. FACT would be very interesting, there is no outright favorite, i only hope this continues
Bula KaiBa, Ba Thumped Nadi yesterday 4-0 at Govind Park. As a champion side Ba lived up to expectation and send their fans home delighted. In this form it will be very very hard for Labasa to gain maximum point on Saturday 17th May at Govind Park 6pm. There is one fact that I always admired about team BA is "regroup". After a couple of poor performance the team mangement quickly analysed their week areas and ensured that they were fixed. I guess this is one of the many things that other district fail to do. Well, in the meanwhile illluck continues to huant Nadi as yet again they failed at Govind Park. This result had surely made Ba favorite for O league and BOG. May the best win.
Bula Salesh.As a Ba fan,Iam exicited about the Ba's performance. its a great feeling which only Ba people will understand. I grew up watching some of the greats such as Bale Raniga,Jo Tubuna, Jone Nakosia, Janeman and its something common in all Ba fan, Most ba kids have played soccer at some stage of their life. I have follwed Ba soocer since early 70's as a little kid and I have only known ba as one of the best teams, yes in late 70's early 80's Nadi used to give ba a stiff challenge, I admired players such as wagan,Barcardi,Tora,Savenaca waga, Kaitani, they were great to watch,it brought the best out of Nadi players when they played ba.I hpoe the History repeats and the other teams will challenge Ba, Ba has the ability to lift their game up to rise above this challenge and the other team should kee
Definetly I agree with you. Years ago there were big names in teams and they lived up to the occassion, many faded away. many teams faded away, but BA reigns. I was big fan of Lote Delai, Madigi, Taito Bula, Vimal Sami, Lorima Batirerega, Akuila Rova and so many of them. I believe one thing is missing in Ba camp is taller defenders nowdays. I had watched how waitakere had scored against Kossa and previously against BA. I hope we can get some taller defenders to compete in these area, otherwise, Ba has the deapth and yes the players you mentioned for Nadi, played with their heart and played for vanua and pride. Not to mention we also live in Ba province as well, lol.... A winner from Ba province is well and good enough.... lol...
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