Northern Batch edge Medfac to seal UPNG soccer title

NORTHERN Batch beat Medical Faculty (Medfac) 1-0 to claim the University of Papua New Guinea Soccer Association (UPNGSA) title at the Vice-Chancellor’s Oval in Port Moresby on Saturday.
It was one-way traffic from the opening whistle with minor premiers Batch dominating field position and ball possession in the first half.
Despite dominating the opening stanza, Batch could not find the net – thanks to scrambling defence and excellent goalkeeping.
Batch maintained the same intensity in the second half which kept Medfac on the back foot.
However, Batch were not to be denied as midfielder Donovan Pintol’s powerful strike found the net off a free-kick 10 minutes from fulltime.
In the third-place playoff, Tutumang beat Chauka 4-2 in a penalty shootout.
Association president Francis Manase was satisfied with the season despite the competition’s recent re-introduction after it was put on hold in 2016 due to the university boycott.
“With no competition over the last three years, it had affected us,” Manase said.
“So this year, we made it happen this year with a few National Soccer League players featuring in some teams.
“This has boost the level of competition. We are now looking at registering UPNGSA under the PNG Football Association in the coming years so that our players can get some recognition and also compete in PNGFA-sanctioned tournaments.”
Manase said PNGFA representatives attended at the grand final to assess the competition for possible recognition under the national governing body.