Dabinyaba boosts Hekari

By PATRICIA KEAMO
A NIGEL Dabinyaba hat-trick helped ladder leaders Hekari United beat Central Dabaris 5-1 in the main match of the National Soccer League Southern Conference triple-header on Saturday.
Hekari took a 2-1 halftime lead with defender Daniel Joe getting the Dabaris on the scoreboard through an own goal at Papua New Guinea Football Stadium.
The Central side picked up intensity in the second half with attempts to score but Hekari bagged three more goals to seal the win. Hekari’s other goalscorers were Nathan James and Kolu Kepo.
Head coach Erickson Komeng said his side were wary of the Dabaris prior to the match, but they stayed focused on their game plan.
“We knew the Dabaris were going to come out strong after their loss last week,” he said.
“They wanted the win but we stuck to our game plan and were disciplined which ensured us the victory.”
Komeng’s side had opportunities to score more goals but their forwards were off target.
“We have opportunities to score and if we don’t then tough luck for us,” he said.
“We managed to score five goals and Dabinyaba played well, he got the man of the match award again (sponsored by bmobile).
“We just need to stay disciplined.
“we managed our game and we won against a great side like the Dabaris.”
Meanwhile, in the opening match, Port Moresby Strikers and Southern Youth settled for a 2-2 draw.