Hekari Women’s FC have ended local hopes at the OFC Women’s Champions League in Tahiti with a hard fought 2-0 win over AS Pirae in the final Group B match at State Pater in Papeete.
Needing just a draw to progress to the semi-finals as Group B runners up, the Papua New Guinea champions were made to work hard by a stoic Pirae side who defended resolutely throughout but failed to seriously trouble Gloria Laeli in the Hekari Women’s FC goal.
Hekari Womens FC will face Fiji’s BA Women FC in the first semi-final on Wednesday (Tahiti time) before defending champions Auckland United FC play Henderson Eels FC of the Solomon Islands in the second semi.
Ericsson Komeng’s Papua New Guinea champions couldn’t quite replicate the intensity they played with against Auckland United in their second Group B match, and although they dominated possession against Pirae, lacked a clinical edge on attack and were poor in the final third.
It took a stroke of luck and a goalkeeping error for Hekari to hit the front six minutes before the interval. After a run down the right, Michelyne Butubu crossed the ball into the box, but with Delphine Soret not covering her near post in the Pirae goal, the ball sliced off Butubu’s boot and into the back of the net.
Two minutes later striker Marie Kaipu who had been off her game for much of the half came to light with a thunderous shot against the crossbar and three minutes into added time, Ramona Padio delivered a curling corner across the goal which Shalom Waida prodded into the back of the net.
Pirae coach Raimana Li Fung Kuee pushed players forward after the break and made a number of changes, knowing his side needed to score three times to make the semis. But the Hekari Women’s FC defence stood firm and Pirae was unable to create any clear-cut chances to get back into the match.
Hekari Womens FC 2 (Michaelyne BUTUBU 39’ Shalom WAIDA 45+3’)
AS Pirae 0
HT 2-0
(Photo Credit OFC Media via Phototek)