Four-goal hero Pala helps Maclaren thrash Cosmos

A MACLAREN masterclass on Saturday saw them thrash Cosmos 5-0 in the opener of the men’s premier division of the Port Moresby Soccer Association competition.
The standout performance of the match went to 20-year-old Raphael Pala, who bagged an impressive four goals for Maclaren.
Maclaren proved too strong with Solomon John and Ola Rogamo controlling the pace of their attack to give room for Pala to score three goals in the first half.
A notable inclusion was flanker Tau Winnie, who added depth in attack for Maclaren. Winnie’s darting runs gave Pala the confidence to continue his devastating form with a goal in the opening minutes of the second half, pushing Maclaren further out to a 4-0 lead.
Further pressure on the Cosmos defensive line saw another goal from forward Leka Vagi to seal the match.
Cosmos, under the guidance of midfielder Godfrey Dobbin, were unable to break through a tough Maclaren backline despite being presented with opportunities on goal, one being a penalty.
Speed in attack and clever decisions from an energised Maclaren side gave them the edge over a young Cosmos outfit.
The next match featured an all-out battle between PS Rutz and defending champions Mungkas which saw both sides end the match 1-1.
A goal to Mungkas’ Terrence Pama in the first half saw the Bougainville side get off to a good start.
But the lead did not last long as PS Rutz responded ten minutes later with an equaliser from Stanley Tumun.
The match progressed with neither side managing to add to their tally until the final whistle.
Momase and Seeadler also found themselves in a stalemate (0-0).
Seeadler, relying on the expertise of Cyril Muta and Chucha Posman, were unable to breach a composed Momase side with Zack Sevana in the midfield.