Hekari thrash Oro to kick off second round

 HEKARI United started their second round of the National Soccer League with a 6-2 thrashing of Oro at the Bomana Correctional Service Oval on Saturday. 

The four-goal margin is the Reds’ biggest win of the season so far and comes off the back of a brief two-game tour of the Solomon Islands last week.

The gulf in class was evident from the opening whistle as Hekari captain David Muta, pictured, looked a step ahead of their rivals.

Hekari team manager Vonnie Kapi Natto was pleased with the performance — but ever the perfectionist, she maintained that there was still more work to do. 

She said they had improved a lot since round one, especially with playing in a small pitch and she credited her players for improvising and maintaining the club’s status in the Telikom-sponsored semi-professional competition. 

Oro manager Philip Embahe congratulated Hekari for the big win.

He said they were missing some of their top players like Garry Moka and Francis Tulem but he said that was no excuse for their disappinting loss. 

He was expecting the junior players to step up to the challenge but his charges could not maintain control in the vital mid field and that allowed Hekari to launch their attacks with relative ease.

Embahe said the result was disappointing because they had lost to the defending champions 1-0, the first time they played them this year.

He said they would regroup, train hard and hopefully put up a better performance against Besta United, who they will host this weekend in Port Moresby.