Fiji dash PNG’s hopes of making 4th straight final

FIJI ended Papua New Guinea’s hopes of making their fourth straight final with a comprehensive 5-1 victory at the Oceania Football Confederation Women’s Nations Cup in Mare, New Caledonia, yesterday.
But it was PNG who broke the deadlock when Meagan Gunemba was played through and made no mistake one-on-one with Fiji goalkeeper Adi Tuwai after 11 minutes.
Fiji’s Trina Davis did the same against PNG goalkeeper Betty Sam in the PNG goal after 24 minutes.
Just three minutes later, Fiji turned the game around.
A defensive error was capitalised on and Luisa Tamanitoakula managed to sneak the ball under the arms of Sam for Fiji’s second.
A third should have been added in the 35th minute after Cema Nasau was fouled in the PNG box and received a penalty.
She decided to take it herself but her penalty was almost straight down the middle and Sam stood waiting long enough to make the save.
Just before the break, PNG captain Sandra Birum came within inches of bringing her side level.
Her long-range effort rattled off the woodwork and stayed out.
In the second half, PNG piled on the pressure but Fiji did not crack.
Then Davis decided to do it all herself in the 64th minute.
She got the ball on the halfway line and outran the PNG defence to score in the top corner and extend Fiji’s lead.
Just six minutes later, their place in the finals was essentially secured.
Fiji captain Jotivini Tabua broke through the field and tried her luck on goal.
The shot was saved by Sam, but the rebound fell to Nasau who made up for her penalty miss by scoring in the open net.
Four minutes from fulltime, Sofi Diyalowai put any shred of doubt to rest with a great finish as she ran through in the PNG box and smashed it home to get Fiji’s fifth goal.
New Zealand and Fiji will meet in the final on Saturday in a replay of the group stage match where the Kiwis won 10-0.
Hosts New Caledonia will have to bounce back and try to secure a historic bronze against PNG earlier that day. – Football Oceania