Wawens give defending NSL champs City great workout

DEFENDING National Soccer League champions Toti City FC were held to a 2-2 draw by FC Morobe Wawens in a trial match on Sunday.
The trial featuring some young promising players from both teams played at Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium in Lae, Morobe, drew a good number of supports on the side lines. With regulars players rested City’s young guns dominated the exchanges but were kept in check by an enthusiastic Wawens.
A cross by City’s Billson Bulloy from the right flank found Obert Bika who tapped in the ball for the only score of the first half.
Wawens kept the action locked in City’s half for long stretches in the second half and that persistence finally paid off with Alu Awi scoring the equaliser.
City then put on their first choice crew with star striker Nigel Dabinyaba blasting a goal to put his side 2-1 ahead with a quarter of the match to go.
The Dabinyaba strike woke the Wawens who matched City for intensity and swarmed the Toti half continuously until left flanker Cedar Steven found space to knock one past goalkeeper Ronald Warisan draw level 2-2.
City coach Peter Gunemba said the Wawens would also be participating in the OFC Champions League this year so he expected their game to have lifted.
“We needed that trial. It was good to test the younger players and see where our fitness it,” Gunemba said.
He noted that the squad still needed to work on their match fitness and that they would have another trial before the start of the NSL Northern Conference next month.