A thrilling match for the fans that filled the stands, AS Pirae’s Naea Bennett says the final score was disappointing after a match well played by his side.
“You can’t concede goals. We scored five or six, I can’t remember how many right now, but at the back we made too many mistakes,” he shared at the final whistle.
“At the very least I think we put on a good show for everyone.”
From start to finish it was a match that had almost every possible scenario thrown at the two sides, and it was the visitors who had first scalp with the opening goal coming from Thomas Matali.
A short time later it was a chance for AS Pirae to pull themselves back in the match after Naea Bennett was fouled in an aerial challenge. Bennett’s Tiki Toa teammate Tearii Labaste stepped up to the spot to convert the resulting penalty to bring the hosts back in line, 1-1.
Pontivy’s wide players caused plenty of problems for the Pirae defence and a foul saw Pirae’s keeper ejected following a direct red card, and with the resulting penalty Pontivy regained their lead thanks to Maxime Leborgne.
Pirae weren’t going to let them take that lead into the break however and again, it was the Tiki Toa lending their expertise to the game as Raimana Li Fung Kuee delivered a cross for Bennett to tap in at the far post.
Coming back from the break, a grave error from Pirae’s goalkeeper Meraimareva Make allowed Pontivy’s Gilles Bray to win the ball and fire into an empty net.
But once gain Pirae fought back, this time Li Fung Kuee and Bennett reversed their roles with the latter sending a long ball which was brought down by Li Fung Kuee in front of the opposing keeper. He touched right and finished from an acute angle to bring the score to 3-3.
Pontivy regained their lead courtesy of a Khassimirou Diop shot, before Li Fung Kuee sent the home fans into raptures with yet another equaliser. This time, after being fouled, he fired a free kick at the goal which took a slight deflection off a defender before rattling the back of the net.
Pirae then took the lead for the first time when Marama Vahirua found the back of the net with a free kick of his own after a foul by Pontivy a few metres off the edge of the penalty area.
The lead didn’t last long however as Diop sent the match into extra time after nailing a late chance to bring the teams to 5-5 at the end of 90 minutes.
Into extra time and a Naea Bennett came so close to sending Pirae through to Round 8, but in the end it was a penalty conceded by Make that sent the dream up in smoke as Pontivy converted from the spot to earn the 6-5 victory.
Double goal-scorer Li Fung Kuee was disappointed that what he and his teammates left on the field didn’t prove enough in the end.
“It’s frustrating to lose in this manner but we made some silly mistakes. We were too nice,” he says.
“I don’t think they were that much better than us, but the team that wanted it more won it and that’s too bad for us. We have a lot of work to do.”
For more on Tahiti football go to www.ftf.pf

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