27/06/10
2010 Vodafone Fiji FACT hosts, Lautoka had to fight tooth and nail to beat a spirited Suva outfit 1-0 but Suva coach Dennis Singh says his team will fight till the end with two games at the tournament remaining.
"It is just disappointing, the loss but we have put that behind us now and are focused on winning the two remaining games and just wait what happens from there on," said Singh after their close shave loss.
He admitted many may have already written Suva out after two losses in the competition so far but said his team will fight till the death.
"Its not over until its over, we have two more games remaining and that to us is an incentive to better ourselves as a team,"
He said it was difficult when the players do something different from what they are told.
"Well what can a coach do when the players can't follow the right instructions?," he said
"We go back to the drawing board tomorrow and will be a better team when we take on Nadi," he said
Meanwhile Lautoka coach Imdad Ali said he was happy with the win adding that his team can only build to be a bigger better team in the coming days of the tournament.
"There are a few things that we need to iron out to perfect our game and i am confident and i have faith in this team to better in the next two days of the competition," he said.
Ali was full of praise for his goal scorer Samuela Kautoga saying he is a hard worker and deserved to score to establish his stalwart figure in the team.
Below is how the game went
Lautoka playing from the Natabua end of the Sugar City kick starts the first half of much anticipated final match of day three of the 2010 Vodafone Fiji FACT on a cool Thursday evening at Churchill Park.
Our referee for the game is Ravitesh Behari takes control of the match.
10th Min Update: Lautoka starts the game from the Natabua end of the park and has been hot on attack with the backing of the home crowd behind them.
The game see-saws as both sides change hands in possesion and after a few exchanges the host go straight into attack keeping the Suva defence on its toes as waves of attack led by Valerio Nawatu and Osea Vakatalesau see the whites rushing back to defend their goal.
But Suva has come to play also, Dennis Singh has definitely drilled his team well on how to netralise Lautoka and play them inn their own game.
So far it has been working and the Blues seem to have to retreat fast guard their goal as Lisala Veutaukula Cedrick Datt and Shamil Rao have also been asking serioud questions in their defensive game.
25th Min Update: Osea Vakatalesau misses a sure goal after he beat the scrambling Suva defence and raced away with only Mesake Navitikula and an open goal to beat.
But Navitikula is fast and reaches the rangy striker before he makes a move to foil the goal.
Suva has been picking its moments well in the game and some superb goal keeping by Waitakere United stopper has kept the Blues in the game.
Minutes later Valerio Nawatu dives in for a header that could have been a goal but all to no avail as it misses by miles. Suva is fast on its counter attack and Solomon Islands import Joshua Tuasolia has been combining well to keep Robinson busy on the other end of the field with some diving saves.
30th Min Update: The physical encounter takes its toll as Inosi Cava is floored by some rugged defensive play by the Blues. The game starts to slow down as Imdad Ali barks orders from the sidelines and the Blues are starting to play more constructively. Suva, sensing that the hosts are starting to change their attacking ploy are starting to scramble for defence, buying time as the match boils down to a scoreless first half.
Halftime Lautoka 0-0 Suva
40th Min Update Suva restarts as Lautoka has made changes to their team with Abu Zahid coming in for Arvindra Naidu to bolster their varying game. Suva loses possession soon after the restart and Lautoka with the likes of Nawatu, Vakatalesau and Alvin Avinesh start to probe using a lot more high balls in their game. Suva has also been employing variations to their attacking with Mishra featuring a lot on the left flank as Inosi Cava, Vetaukula and Datt provide with some superb go-forward balls with their slick passing.
This unsettles the Lautoka defence and time and again Robinson is forced to come forward and defen his goal line showing excellent vision and reading the game well.
Nawatu is put into a hole after a counterattack launched from the right flank but puts the ball wide as Suva keeper looks well beaten, much to the disappointement of the Lautoka fans on the stands.
50th Min Update: Lautoka coach Imdad Ali has introduced New Zealand based Jurteet Singh who has come in to replace Nawatu while Suva's Maciu Tuilau has come in for Solomon Islands import Joshua Tuasolia. The game has lived up to expecatations and is proving to be a physical one. Midway through the second half referee Behari has yellow carded Suva's Rao for dangerous play. The last quarter of the game sees Lautoka hot on attack, fiercely probing in the Suva half, until Samuela Kautoga collected a loose ball in the Suva box and beat Navitikula to break the deadlock.
Lautoka 1-0 Suva
60th Min Update: Kamal Hassan comes in for Osea Vakatalesau and the Blues have now come alive with the 1-0 lead and the vocal backing of the home crowd.
Suva sensing that they are now running out of time are starting to launch nuemrous attacks on the Lautoka goal but good defending buy the host sees the score reamain.
Behari flashes a yellow card at Robinson for wasting time and teh game quickly gets back into motion.
Full Time Suva 0-1 Lautoka
Lautoka: Danny Robinson, Marika Madigi, Samuela Kautoga, Leone Vurukania, Lorima Dau, Salesh Kumar, Osea Vakatalesau, Valerio Nawatu, Alvin Avinesh, Arvindra Naidu, Semesa Nakosia.
Suva: Mesake Navitikula, Krishna Sami, Anish Kumar, Sandeep Nair, Joshua Tuasolia, Shamil Rao, Inosi Cava, Lisala Vetaukula, Joseph Mishra, Cedrick Datt, Luke Haaterea.
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