Reds regain top

 By HENRY MORABANG

HEKARI United has reclaimed the top spot after an 8-1 massacre over Madang in the second last game of National Soccer League at Bomana on Saturday.

In the early game of the Telikom-sponsored competition’s double header, Admiralty dashed Lae City Dwellers’ hopes of minor premiership to hold them to a 2-2 drawn match.

Hekari’s wonder boy, Tommy Semmy, continued his good form from the Oceania Champions League, scoring a hat-trick with Solomon Islander Joachim Waroi collecting a brace and Emmanuel Airem, Tutizama Tanito and Kema Jack picking up singles in a slippery and muddy playing surface at CS Training Oval.

Madang’s lone goal came from Mt Hagen-based and former Hekari player Samuel Kini midway in the second half.

The reigning champions regained the top spot from Lae City Dwellers, who kept the seat warm during their absence in the regional challenge last week. 

Madang Governor Jim Kas blasted the organisers for going ahead with the Hekari and Madang match despite the muddy, slippery and waterlogged conditions of the field at the Correctional Services Institute in Port Moresby.

Kas, who is the major sponsor of Madang, was critical about the conditions of the field after heavy rains that partly contributed to the lopsided 8-1 loss to Hekari on Saturday.

He said the organisers boast about “My Game is Fair Play” carried on the FIFA flag at all NSL matches.

“Where is fair play? It all starts with the conditions of the field. Seeing the conditions of the field they (organisers) should have called the game off,” Kas said. 

“The conditions of the field were lousy. It was evident enough for them to call the game off and set a time for a rematch.

“We did not come here to get an 8-1 thrashing. 

“We came ready to give them a competitive game, to give the fans their money’s worth.

“We were capable of making them (Hekari) work hard to earn the points.”

Hekari, meanwhile, stood out in the bad weather, displaying their accurate passes and long kicks to their fast forwards to score at ease.  

Dwellers should consider themselves lucky for a draw, as Admiralty had the upper hand in most cases but their forwards — in particular, striker Michael Foster — headed away two easy goals which could have forced them into 2015 NSL premiership.

An own-goal by Moses Agi for Admiralty was a blessing in disguise for Lae, who had to work hard to score a penalty through Rodney Mobiha in the first half, complemented with a good challenge from Roniel Igens for a two goal lead. 

But a bullet kick by Nigel Dabinyaba in the final minute forced the match to draw 2-2.

(Hekari 8 – Tommy Semmy  17, 42, 84, Joachim Waroi 33, 35, Emmanuel Airem 70, Tutizama Tanito 77, Kema Jack 86) Madang 1 (Samuel Kini 74) Half-time: 4-0

Admiralty 2 – (Rodney Mobiha 44 (penalty), Roniel Igens 51), Lae 2 (own goal Moses Agi 31, Nigel Dabinyaba 65) 

Ladder: Hekari 23, Lae City Dwellers 23, Madang 17, FC Port Moresby 15, Admiralty 11, Oro 10, Besta 7.