Vipers upset builds confidence for Dabaris season campaign

By PARKER TAMBUA
CENTRAL Dabaris say they are confident that they can improve their position on the Digicel Cup ladder following Sunday’s shock 14-10 win over Port Moresby Vipers.
The Steven Gunua-coached side have won three games and lost five matches after eight rounds.
The Dabaris are ninth on the 12-team competition ladder with three competition points separating them from the Moni Plus-sponsored Vipers who are in sixth spot.
Gunua praised his men for the win.
“We are happy to get the win, we fought really hard for it,” he said.
“I was pleased with our defence.
“I thought we defended well in crucial stages of the game.
“But there are a lot of things that we need to improve such as our completion rate. We are competitive in every game. If we can improve on the little things then I am sure we can get better.”
The Central government-sponsored side will face another uphill battle in the form of 2020 champions Hela Wigmen in their round-nine clash at the Santos National Football Stadium on Sunday.
The Wigmen climbed to second spot on the ladder after the Kroton-sponsored side sprung an 18-6 upset win over ladder-leading Rabaul Gurias on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Vipers have slipped despite starting the season strongly.
Coach Joe Sipa said his side’s defence was a concern.
“We need to improve our defence for the remainder of the season,” he said.
“Our attack is also not up to standard, so we will be targeting those areas during training,” said the Vipers coach.