Gunemba sparks City revival

SKIPPER Raymond Gunemba scored a hat-trick as Toti City secured a 4-2 win over Vanuatu’s Malampa Revivors to keep their Oceania Football Confederation Champions League hopes alive.
The Papua New Guinea international single-handedly put his side 3-1 up at half-time, despite City being a goal down at Stade Yoshida in Kone, New Caledonia yesterday. The Papua New Guineans had early opportunities but failed to convert.
Gunemba took advantage of a defensive lapse in the first minute of the Group A clash but his effort was foiled by the opposition goalkeeper.
Three minutes later, Michael Foster, pictured, was in the clear but he could find the net.
The wasted chances haunted them in the fifth minute when Elkington Molivakarua scored from inside the box to give his side a 1-0 lead.
Foster had an opportunity to equalise in the 10th minute after being set up by Gunemba but he was again denied by the Malampa defence.
Gunemba was then given a free kick in the 17th minute but his curler was saved by the Malampa goalkeeper.
Molivakarua came close to scoring his second in the 30th minute but his stinging low drive was saved by City goalkeeper Ronald Warisan.
City finally got off the mark in the 41st minute, thanks to Gunemba.
The Morobean then scored his second and third to give his side some breathing space heading into the break.
City came out firing again in the second stanza, with Gunemba searching for his fourth goal in the 47th minute but his curler sailed over the crossbar.
The Vanuatu defence opened up and Troy, Gunemba’s younger brother, nearly snatched one for himself in the 52nd minute but his shot went wide.
As the game started to wind down, Malampa were given a free kick but Tasso Jeffrey’s shot went straight down Warisan’s throat.
The Papua New Guineans still had points in them, with Gunemba setting up Dabinyaba to seal the victory.
Malampa managed to grab a consolation goal in the 82nd minute, thanks to Andre Batick’s header.