Bula FC have confirmed their place in the Leaders Group with a 2-1 victory over Auckland FC in their final home game of Round 5 at 4R Electrical Govind Park in Ba.
Under the pump for large stages, both of Bula’s goals came in the first half from Roy Krishna and Sterling Vasconcellos – condemning Auckland FC to just their second defeat of the campaign, and completing a day of upsets which saw both of the league’s top two sides lose.
The win pushes Bula FC’s points tally up to 21 on the Pro League table, ensuring a top four finish and a spot in the Leaders Group, where they’ll meet Auckland again in May.
It took several quality saves from goalkeeper Didier Desprez just to keep Bula FC afloat inside the first ten minutes – denying Kian Donkers from close range and Liam Gillion from a direct free kick. James Bayliss also had an effort cleared off the line from Bula defender Scott Wara as Auckland made a dominant start.
Lucky not to find themselves trailing, the hosts instead took the lead against the run of play in the 14th minute. Scott Wara flicked on a free kick delivery, which Sterling Vasconcellos turned into the back of the net at the back post.
The league leaders continued to control possession and the tempo after conceding, keeping Desprez busy with a long-range shot from Matty Ellis. They were made to rue a clinical touch when Bula doubled their advantage.
National hero and Fiji’s all-time top goalscorer, Roy Krishna, reminded the region of his talent, catching Auckland FC on the counter and scoring with a superb solo finish in the 35th minute for his third goal of the season.
For all their dominance on the basis of play though, Auckland did at least get one back before the break – their own veteran striker Emiliano Tade halving the deficit after linking with Daniel Normann inside the penalty box.
Chasing their third consecutive victory of the round in Fiji, Luke Casserly’s men remained on the front foot in the second half, buoyed by the momentum of Tade’s goal.
However, breaking down the Bula FC defence became a tougher challenge as the hosts began to catch a glimpse of a Leaders Group spot on the horizon.
That added defensive approach was evident from the hosts when Stephane Auvray replaced forward Setareki Hughes with former Auckland FC defender Semi Nabenu for the final twenty minutes of the contest.
Casserly brought on Oscar Faulds, Isa Prins, and Reid Drake in response, but time and time again they found the route to goal blocked by Wara in the Bula defence, or Desprez in-between the sticks.
The frustration was evident for Auckland late on when tensions boiled over, resulting in a straight red card for captain Tass Mourdoukoutas following a scuffle off the ball.
The resulting final whistle was greeted with cheers of joy from the Bula players and their home supporters, pulling the curtain down on their home round with a memorable result.
Whilst the hosts can now look ahead to the Leaders Group during Round 6 in May, Auckland FC still have one match to play in Fiji – a rescheduled Round 3 fixture with South Island United in Ba on Tuesday afternoon.
Bula FC: 2 (Sterling VASCONCELLOS 14’, Roy KRISHNA 35’)
Auckland FC: 1 (Emiliano TADE 45+5’)
HT: 2-1
Photo credit: OFC Media via Phototek