THE Nawaibuta Holdings Northland coach Epeli Kalou believes missed opportunities proved costly as his side suffered a narrow 9-8 defeat to FMF Rewa in their thrilling Viti Levu Skipper Cup qualifier at Dawasamu Secondary School in Tailevu on Saturday last week.
The winner-takes-all contest lived up to expectations, with both teams battling fiercely throughout the 80 minutes before Rewa edged ahead in the closing stages to book its place in the competition.
Kalou said his players created enough opportunities to win the match but failed to convert them into points when it mattered most.
“It was a game of opportunities,” Kalou said.
“We created a lot of chances, but we didn’t make use of them. That’s rugby. It’s a game of chances, and unfortunately we didn’t take ours.”
With the scores 6-3 poised at halftime, the Northland coach urged his players to raise the intensity and make better use of possession in the second spell.
“The message at halftime was simple. We needed to make use of our chances, spread the ball wide, deny them possession and maintain the tempo of the game,” he said.
Northland remained in the contest until the final 80 minutes, but Rewa capitalised on late opportunities to secure the narrow victory and hand Northland its first defeat on their home ground.
Despite the disappointment, Kalou refused to dwell on the loss, saying the team would learn from the experience and move forward.
“It was a winner-takes-all match. We didn’t play to the expectations we had for ourselves,” he said.
Kalou also acknowledged the strong support from Northland fans who turned out in large numbers to cheer on the team.
“I want to thank all our fans who came out in numbers today. We apologise because we didn’t deliver the result they expected, but we truly appreciate their support.”
Kalou said the focus would now shift to preparations for the Vanua Cup Championship which is scheduled for August.
