The Ukrainians capitalised on the Bilikiki’s early nerves to register three on the scoreboard by the end of the first period. The second period was more closely fought but Ukraine extended their advantage, albeit by a single goal, to lead the match by 4-0.
Bilikiki returned in the final third with more organisation and quickly broke through with McPhilip Aisa finishing spectacularly to reign in the score line to 4-1. James Naka added the Bilikiki’s second but Ukraine struck twice to ensure they maintained a healthy 6-2 buffer. The final act of the match came from Anthony Talo who provided the Bilikiki’s third of the day for a more respectable 6-3 finish for the Oceania champions.
Bilikiki head coach, Gideon Omokirio, says that the result does not matter too much since he felt that his players have gained more than what they lost in the game.
“Playing this friendly match today was vital for us because it is the only opportunity for my players to taste what is ahead of us when the world cup kicks off next week,” Omokirio says. “Ukraine offered us an insight to what we can expect from the Netherlands and that is why we took the opportunity to play them with both hands.”
Asked why they allowed Ukraine to gain a 4-0 lead at the end of the second third, Omokirio explains that excitement and nerves overtook his players and they lost control of the game for a while.
“We entered the match with too much haste and did not stick to our game plan and this allowed them to get the drop on us. In the final third, we regained composure and were able to manage the threat from Ukraine,” says Omokirio.
Omokirio adds that as coach he is not happy about the loss but he is optimistic about the ability of the team to adapt tactics to the situation.
“It is disappointing to lose any game but I think the fact that we changed our game plan in the final third and scored the three goals is a positive for us to take forward into the competition. We will work hard over the next few days to patch up our weaknesses,” says Omokirio.
The 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup kicks off on 18 September with Paraguay and Ivory Coast clashing in the opening match. The Bilikiki open their campaign against the Netherlands on Thursday, 19 September.
For more on Solomon Islands football go to www.siff.com.sb

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