Southern Youth draw with Gulf Komara

By PATRICIA KEAMO
THE opening match of the Port Moresby’s National Soccer League Southern Conference triple-header between Gulf Komara and Southern Youth ended in a goalless draw on Saturday.
Both sides had a number of scoring opportunities to score but their shots were off target in the round-six fixture at Papua New Guinea Football Stadium.
Youth coach Mathew Witu said despite not winning the match, he was impressed with his men for keeping second-placed Komara at bay.
“We were prepared to play Komara who are a very good team,” he said.
“We thought that we were going to beat them and I thought my men would score at least one goal.
“But I congratulate the team even though we didn’t win.
“It’s a new development team so winning is just a bonus.
“To help them understand the game is imperative so I’m happy with the result.
“Coming from a lower division to play in the league, there’s a lot of technical work to do like passing, ball control and playing as a team.
“It needs a lot of work but I’m taking things one a time.”
Witu said he was also impressed with goalkeeper Karo Raka who produced a number of crucial saves.
Meanwhile, Komara assistant coach Steven Mune said a draw was better than a loss.
“The game itself was good as Youth maintain their momentum,” he said.
“There’s no big deal about drawing matches.”