The victory derailed any last-minute bids from challengers for the title, the club’s 18th such success, with a win in the remaining match of the season only set to extend Ba’s lead.
The reward for yet another title is a place in the 2014 OFC Champions League, in which the Men in Black will attempt to repeat the run that saw them make the final of the 2007 edition.
Ba coach Yogendra Dutt is delighted to have earned another piece of silverware for the club and was pleased with his team’s performance against Suva.
“It was a shaky start in the first half but the players quickly got over it,” he says.
“The boys deserve the win having worked so hard for it during training in the lead up to the game. Our aim was to win the league again and we have now wrapped that up, so congratulations to the boys.”
The Men in Black earned the season-defining three points thanks to strikes from Osea Vakatalesau, Malakai Tiwa and Mavileko Nakama while Suva defender Samuela Vula rounded off a miserable day for his team by notching an own goal in injury time.
Ba are now sitting on 42 points with a game in hand while closest challengers Suva have 36 points.
Suva could get two more points if a pending protest decision goes in their favour but, even if that possibility eventuates, the best Suva can do is beat Labasa in the last game and reach 41 points.
Suva coach Gurjit Singh is disappointed to have been ruled out of the title running and says his charges did not play well enough together as a team.
“We did not prepare well for the clash but at the end of the day that cannot be used as an excuse,” he says.
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