Tafea Win In Lautoka As Kiwi Arch-Rivals Draw
Story by Jeremy Ruane

The clashes of the unbeaten teams on Matchday Three of the OFC Champions League saw Lautoka beaten by Tafea FC in Fiji, while Waitakere United and reigning champions Auckland City fought out a 1-1 stalemate at Fred Taylor Park.

United enjoyed the better of the early exchanges in the latest Queen City derby, but it was Auckland who finally capitalised on the pressure they generated from a string of corners when Chad Coombes thundered home a twenty-five yarder to open the scoring on the half-hour for the visitors.

Unperturbed, Waitakere continued to pound away and were rewarded three minutes before half-time when Brent Fisher slid home a Benjamin Totori cross, a goal on which the home team were keen to build in the second spell.

Try as they might, however, it just wouldn’t come. Totori was guilty of the worst miss of the numerous openings they created on the hour mark, firing over an open goal from five yards.

Fisher was denied by the woodwork in the second spell as the West Aucklanders kept the pressure on their FIFA Club World Cup Finals-bound rivals, who were denied a stoppage time winner by the offside flag, and finished the game with ten men following the 83rd minute dismissal of Adam Dickinson.

The other Group A encounter also finished in a 1-1 draw, with AS Manu Ura’s Phillip Kokone opening the scoring a minute into the second half at Stade Paea in Papeete. But Billy Mataitai’s superbly struck free-kick twenty minutes later drew AS Magenta level, and the scoreline remained unchanged despite Manu Ura’s Rex Faurai being sent off in the dying stages of the match.

Sunday’s lone Group B encounter - the match between Hekari Souths United and Marist FC is now taking place on December 5 in Port Moresby - saw the two unbeaten teams clashing, and it was Tafea FC who maintained that record by stunning Lautoka 2-1 in front of a full house at Churchill Park.

Jean Nako Napropol headed the visitors in front half-way through the first half upon being picked out by Francois Sakama’s free-kick. Tafea could have doubled their advantage on the half-hour when Fredy Vava’s penalty was saved by James Choropoulos, after an incident which saw Lautoka defender Ilaitia Tuilau sent off for deliberate handball.

To the delight of the home fans, Lautoka drew level on the stroke of half-time through Valerio Nawatu, and the ten men pounded away throughout the second spell as they sought a winner.

Instead, they conceded it thirteen minutes from time, Malakai Waqa’s mistake presenting Sakama with the chance to restore Tafea’s advantage, one he took to clinch all three points for the Vanuatu champions at the home of their Fijian counterparts.

Matchday Four is spread across two weekends in mid-February, with the two weekends required to accommodate the Group A action. Auckland travels to Manu Ura for a game at Stade Paea on 12 February, while eight days later, Waitakere welcomes Magenta to Fred Taylor Park.

In Group B, Hekari and Tafea clash at the Port Moresby Rugby League Stadium on 13 Febuary, while love won’t be in the air when Lautoka and Marist lock horns at Churchill Park on Valentine’s Day.

Matchday Three details:
Group A:
AS Manu Ura 1 (P. Kokone (46)), AS Magenta 1 (B. Mataitai (66)) HT 0-0
Waitakere United 1 (B. Fisher (42)), Auckland City 1 (C. Coombes (30)) HT 1-1

P W D L F A GD Pts
Auckland City 3 2 1 0 8 2 +6 7
Waitakere United 3 1 2 0 4 2 +2 5
AS Magenta 3 0 2 1 3 4 -1 2
AS Manu Ura 3 0 1 2 1 8 -7 1

Group B:
Hekari Souths United , Marist FC - playing Dec 5 at Port Moresby RL Stadium
Lautoka 1 (V. Nawatu (45)), Tafea FC 2 (J. Napropol (22), F. Sakama (77)) HT 1-1

P W D L F A GD Pts
Tafea FC 3 2 1 0 7 4 +3 7
Lautoka 3 2 0 1 6 4 +2 6
Hekari Souths United 2 0 1 1 4 5 -1 1
Marist FC 2 0 0 2 1 5 -4 0

NZ Football Championship action resumes next Sunday with three matches taking place. Waitakere head to Carisbrook to take on Otago United, while Youngheart Manawatu welcome Canterbury United to Memorial Park on a day Hawkes Bay United entertains Team Wellington at Park Island.

These matches will complete fourth round action, reigning champions Auckland City having thumped Waikato FC 5-0 in a match brought forward to Labour weekend because of the reigning champions’ FIFA Club World Cup Finals commitments.