Strikers look to improve

By ISAAC LIRI
AFTER registering their first 4-3 win over FC Morobe Wawens last weekend in Port Moresby, Southern Strikers are yet to improve on their attitude moving forward, says coach Margaret Aka.
Strikers winger Kenneth Arah scored a brace of goals to get his side back into the contest after they trailed 2-0 at halftime.
But the match was marred by a melee in second-half with referee Mairi Noni red-carding Strikers Laventine Munou and Wawens’ Jason Farrock.
Both clubs were fined by the NSL for incurring cards over the course of a tense encounter.
Aka, the first female NSL coach, referred to last week’s victory as scrappy despite the result and is expecting her side to step up this weekend against Buang FC.
“Last week we were a bit scrappy in the first half. I think we are yet to improve on our attitude on playing well for the whole 90 plus minutes,” Aka said.
“We are going to Lae this weekend to take on Buang FC and we have been working on our attitude during the week so that is our challenge.
“In the NSL level, we are expected to play a higher level of football and that is why we have a lot of work to do and we have been doing that during training.
“Playing well in the second half is not good enough as a NSL team, we must not wait till the last minute so we hope to see some improvement this weekend,” Aka added.
As a new team in the PNGFA-sanctioned semi-professional competition, the Strikers come from different clubs in the Port Moresby Soccer Association however signs of combinations are beginning to take shape among the players. “We are beginning to see that the combinations among our players is building and that’s something positive for us in the long term,” she said.
The Strikers will play Buang, who are yet to win a NSL match, at the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae.
Madang FC will be searching for their fourth win taking on FC Momase in Port Moresby while Besta PNG United FC takes on FC Morobe Wawens at the PNGFA Academy in Lae.
Toti FC, who are taking part in the Oceania Football Confederation’s Champions League as the Lae City Dwellers this weekend, are on bye.