Stars, Mountain men eager

By ISAAC LIRI
THE opening match for the National Soccer League Southern Conference tomorrow will see two teams chasing their first wins.
Eastern Stars and Star Mountain FC are yet to post wins in the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited-sponsored competition after two rounds.
Both sides had tough games over the opening two rounds.
The Stars gave a scare to FC Bougainville last Saturday before going down 2-1 and the week before Port Moresby United pipped them.
The Milne Bay franchise have a depth of experience and that should give them the upper hand when they face the NSL newcomers tomorrow.
Star Mountain are coming off two close losses despite their structured style allows them to ample opportunities.
Pettyshen Elijah should be the go-to man for Star Mountain with his powerful right boot.
After having a glut of chances over the last two weekends, he needs to make the most of his time on the field. The Stars are also packing their own heat in the front line and with captain Charles Lepani directing play the Milne Bay start slight favourites.
The second game between FC Bougainville and Gulf Komara is an interesting one.
Bougainville came off a hard-fought win last week on the back of some outstanding defensive plays which is the area coach David Passam focused on over pre-season.
The advantage of having a squad from one club (Mungkas FC), Bougainville players are more composed and organised on defence forcing teams to try harder to create opportunities.
Gulf, on the other hand, did well against Hekari last weekend despite losing 3-1 and coach David Aua would want his players to build on that effort against the Bougainvilleans.