Kaipu crushes hosts

MARIE Kaipu starred with five goals in Papua New Guinea’s 6-2 demolition of hosts New Caledonia in their second group A match of the OFC Women’s Nations Cup in Kone, New Caledonia.
The win ensured coach Peter Gunemba’s side a semifinal berth with a game in hand against Tahiti on Saturday.
Kaipu proved unstoppable on the wing, converting almost every opportunity and providing an assist to be an easy choice for player of the match.
The clash was expected to be a much closer contest as both sides had played in the 2015 Pacific Games final (won by PNG) and have been the top two sides in the Oceania region outside of New Zealand.
Gunemba’s side took a little to get going but once they gained speed they never looked back.
The game started a lot slower than the earlier match between Tahiti and Samoa where there were five goals in the first 10 minutes. Here New Caledonia had the first chance before PNG scored in the 20th minute.
Kaipu was played through on goal but looked to have missed her opportunity thanks to a poor first touch.
However, she kept her cool and turned around two New Caledonian defenders to slot the ball just under the arm of Lorenza Hnamano in the New Caledonian goal.
The second PNG goal came just 10 minutes later and it was once again Kaipu who was at the centre of it.
Meagan Gunemba and Kaipu played a few passes between them before Kaipu was sent through. New Caledonia goal-keeper Lorenza Hnamanao was caught in no man’s land and Kaipu had no problem scoring.
Then Kaipu turned from goalscorer to waitress as she served up a lovely cross that found Ramona Padio after a poor touch from a New Caledonian defender. At the back post, Padio gave PNG a nice 3-0 lead to take into halftime.
The second half started at a fast pace from the first whistle.
Kaipu wasted no time in getting her hat-trick as she raced through and lifted the ball over Hnamano mere seconds into the half.
Two minutes later, Kim Maguire was sent through by a lovely pass from Aurélie Lalie. Maguire lobbed the ball over PNG goalie Betty Sam to gave New Caledonia a sliver of hope at 4-1.
But Kaipu wasn’t done for the day. Gunemba was played through but Hnamano got to the ball.
However, her clearance was a poor one and ended up at Kaipu’s feet out on the left hand side.
Instead of crossing, Kaipu went for goal and with Hnamano out of position the ball dipped into the goal on the far post.
Then Kaipu mercilessly sent a cross in that dipped over her hands and into the goal for the winger’s fifth of the day.
Hnamano looked to be hampered by the injury when jumping for the ball and she was taken off the pitch two minutes later and replaced by Dolores Bodeouaro. A very difficult day for the 16-year-old.
In the 92nd minute, Sydney Gatha grabbed a consolation goal for New Caledonia.