Patience and ball control will be crucial for Extra Bula FC if they are to rake up wins in the OFC Pro League.
The side secured their first victory in the inaugural season with a hard-fought 1–0 win over a 10-man Solomon Kings FC team on Sunday at the Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby.
In the 43rd minute, midfielder Nabil Begg scored the decisive goal after a perfectly executed pass by Setareki Hughes.
Early in the second half, Solomon Kings FC’s Don Keana was shown a red card for hauling down Bula FC winger Kaile Auvray as he was racing towards goal.
Despite their opponents being a player down, Bula FC were unable to capitalise further, while Solomon Kings FC missed several scoring opportunities.
This highlighted the team’s patience and ball control as critical priorities moving forward, a point captain Roy Krishna emphasised in the post-match interview.
“How we needed this (win), we’ve worked really hard and of course we needed to score goals, just really happy for the boys,” said Krishna.
“Credit to the boys today, you know we deserved the win today, but still work needs to be done. With ten men we needed to keep the ball more and be patient.”
Auvray, who was named player of the match, acknowledged the team’s less-than-perfect performance despite their victory but praised the players’ resilience and mental fortitude in securing their first win of the competition.
“I think the most important is that we win the game. I don’t think it’s our best performance, but I love the resilience, the discipline and the great camaraderie,” he said.
Looking ahead, Bula FC have two more games in round two, and Krishna stressed the importance of good and timely recovery to ensure the team is match-ready.
“Now to recovery, it’s really hot. We’ve got two more games in the round, and we go on from there,” he added.
Krishna dedicated the side’s historic win to their fans and urged them to continue supporting the team throughout the season.
Bula FC will face South Melbourne FC tomorrow at 5.30pm at the Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby.
