Yamaros bag Super League’s minor title

By HENRY MORABANG
VAT Yamaros were declared minor premiers despite their 1-0 loss to PS Rutz in the main game of the Port Moresby Super League men’s soccer competition at Bisini soccer ground yesterday.
The game also marked the conclusion of the regular season.
Yamaros picked up K16,000 as prize money for finishing top of the ladder.
Yamaros will be on bye next week while second-placed PS Rutz take on third-placed University in the qualifying final while in the elimination final, POMSOE will play Mungkas.
The losers bow out of the race while the winners play the losers of University and Rutz.
The main game was evenly contested in all departments by both teams.
Rutz had the upper-hand withing experience players in their line-up.
They missed two easy goals in front of their opponents’ goal-mouth. Striker Frank Tulem and his co-striker Terence Bandi took wrong options due to pressure from Yamaros defence in the opening half.
Yamaros’ scoring machine Charston Aopi and his African connection Pascal Wojem where under close scrutiny by Rutz defenders Albert Anis, Nelson Joromo and Jeremy Masalo.
They were denied the time and space to fire early on.
Both teams tried hard but could not find the net and score remained 0-0 at half time.
PS Ruts stand-in coach Nathan Vincent and manager/president Paskalis Atalou uttered some hard words at the break to re-ignite some fighting spirit into the team.
Vincent and Atalou sensed that the game was sneaking away and started to make substitutions.
Blaise Tulem replaced his brother Frank in the forwards and headed a brilliant cross from Ken Frogi Gule for the only goal of the afternoon.
Yamaros came back but could not penetrate the PS Rutz brickwall defence.
In the early match, Spartans bowed out of the season after posting an upset win over POMSOE, who were relegated from second to third spot after Rutz’ victory.
On Saturday, University shot down Defence 3-0 while Cosmos farewelled the season with a 4-1 victory over Mungkas.