Bara take title No.2

By GABRIEL LAHOC
A DOMINANT Bara FC of Lae were crowned the queens of the Ox and Palm National Soccer League yesterday after beating Port Moresby’s Mungkas FC 2-0 to win their second final at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae.
The pitch was drenched by the morning rain, which resulted in the deferral of the Telikom NSL match between MRDC Hekari United and Petro Souths.
Mungkas struggled in the conditions which prevented them from playing a more expansive game.
Linah Honeajuk was the first player to size up the pitch scoring from a penalty in the opening minutes of the second half.
Her well-judged chip shot beat Mungkas goalkeeper Teri Lasin.
The goal brought wild cheers from Lae fans after a goal-less first half which was a hard fought tussle.
Honeajuk’s goal upped the tempo for the hosts, whose ball coordination in the wet condition was unmatched by the visitors.
Mungkas big guns Fatima Rama and Lydia Barnabas along with Lois Demgor and Rumona Morris failed to get the equaliser despite several raids at the Bara goalmouth.
Cathy Horrish, Esther Kenasti and Jessica Nawi did well to  contain the Bara offence.
Bara led by Zeenah Limbai proved a handful for the Mungkas as they seemed to thrive in the wet.
The Lae girls had all the monentum in the second half controlling the ball and slowly breaking down the visitors’ defence.
In the final quarter of the match Bara winger Ellin Taito threaded the ball past two defenders and the goalkeeper for Bara’s second goal putting the match beyond Mungkas’ reach.
The win sees Lae claim for the second year in a row the mantle as the country’s leading centre in women’s football.