DAYALS Sawmillers Ba FC defeated Prithvi Navua FC 1-0 after a thrilling and tough round 14 match of the Extra Premier League at the Four R Stadium, Govind Park on Sunday.
Ba head coach Ravinesh Kumar credited a change in tactics and the unwavering support of the home crowd.
The victory completed another successful outing against Navua, with Ba backing up their 3-1 win over the same opponents in the 2026 BIC Fiji FACT final in Labasa.
The clash on Sunday carried the feel of a rematch, with both teams producing an entertaining contest in front of a large crowd.
Kumar acknowledged Navua’s quality and said his players had to work hard for all three points.
“I believe this was a very good game and a very tough game as well,” Kumar said.
“Navua gave us a very good run. We know they are a good team because we played them in the Fiji FACT final and they played really well.”
After a nil-all at first half, Kumar said the key message during the break was to abandon attempts to attack through the congested middle and instead use the width of the field.
“We were trying to penetrate through the middle, but their defence was compact inside, so I told the boys to get out to the flanks and play from there. The process came from the flanks, and we scored through the flanks, so that was the good part,” he said.
The tactical adjustment paid off as Ba found the breakthrough in the second spell to secure a valuable victory and keep their momentum going in the league.
“The first thing is recovery and then we’ll plan for the Lautoka game,” he said.
“There is always pressure when we play at home. I don’t feel good when our fans go home with their heads down, so today I’m happy that they are going home happy.”
Kumar also reserved special praise for the supporters who packed Govind Park and urged them to continue backing the Men in Black as they chase further success this season.
Ba will meet Lautoka this Sunday at Govind Park.
