KHELVIN Civil Engineering Lautoka Maroons secured their first win of the Skipper Cup season with a 28-23 victory over FMF Rewa Senior Men’s in Round Four at Churchill Park in Lautoka yesterday.
Head coach Kiniviliame Bavadra praised his players for showing resilience and intensity on the field.
After suffering defeats in their opening three matches, the Maroons finally broke through against Rewa, holding their nerve despite playing with only 12 men on the field.
Bavadra described the victory as a major boost for his side and a sign that the team is prepared to fight until the final whistle.
“I would say it’s a big green light for us in terms of staying in the fight and fighting until the end of the game,” Bavadra said.
However, the coach acknowledged that discipline remains an area the Maroons must improve after three yellow cards were issued to his players in the second half.
Bavadra said the problem was not simply discipline but also the players’ mindset and decision-making in crucial areas of the game.
“It can’t be just discipline alone but mindset in terms of how we want to engage in certain areas where we are already ;acking,” he said.
He said the team had discussed the breakdown during the halftime break and attempted to add numbers, but some players were penalised for cynical play.
“It’s really unnecessary and it goes back to how we prepare ourselves,” Bavadra said.
Following three consecutive losses, Bavadra said the message to his players was simple — continue grinding and find a way to win.
“The message is just to grind and get the win in a way that we haven’t showed or displayed in the previous three games,” he said.
The coach was particularly pleased with the intensity his players maintained throughout the match.
“I’m happy with how it all turned out.
What I’m happy with was the intensity. We stayed in the game,” he said.
“We’ve been missing those for the first three games and I’m happy with the way they ended the match to get the win 28-23 against Rewa.”
We dedicated the win to the vanua, players families, supporters and fans of the Lautoka Maroons.
