Hienghene have taken an early lead on the table following their 5-0 victory over ASGN in their northern derby and despite the final score-line, ASGN didn’t make it an easy win for the East coast side allowing them just a one goal advantage going into the break thanks to attacker Fabiano Dahite.
However Hienghene, who finished runners-up in the league last season, were able to capitalise in the second period after ASGN lifted their foot off the gas – with Bertrand Kai, Alan Dinet, Brice Dahite and William Yentao all finding the net.
Defending champions AS Magenta travelled to Lifou for an encounter against Qanono. The last meeting between the two sides resulted in Magenta going down 4-0. On this occasion, despite Magenta’s dominance on the field, the score remained even right up until the final whistle with the match ending in a goalless draw.
“Magenta really made us suffer,” Qanono coach Leon Waitronyie says. “They dominated and could have won if their attackers hadn’t missed so many opportunities. For our part, we could have gone ahead if Billy Ujicas had better exploited his one-on-one with Rocky Nyikeine, the Magenta goalkeeper, right at the end of the match.”
Mont-Dore got their Super Ligue campaign off to a much better start than they did with the OFC Champions League 2013, downing NE Drehu 3-1.
With the score locked at 0-0 at the end of the first half, it was Mont-Dore who overcame the Super Ligue newcomers to open the scoring in the 51st minute through Jackyno Maou. However the celebrations were cut short when just three minutes later a strike from Gregory Xalite saw Drehu grab an equaliser.
Things only got worse for Mont-Dore when Dominique Sawa was sent from the field following a foul on Xalite in the 56th minute. Despite their inferior numbers on the field, Mont-Dore managed to maintain their cool to put away two more goals to earn the win. Romain Painbeni was waiting at the near post to head in a corner in the 64th minute before captain Loic Bessieres converted from the penalty spot to lock the game up in injury time.
“On the whole, we had a good match. What we were missing, especially in the first period, was the finishing,” says Mont-Dore assistant coach Stephane Drahusak. “At 3-0 going into the break the discussions wouldn’t be the same at the end of the match.”
Gaitcha exerted their dominance over their island neighbours Tiga Sport earning a 4-1 victory at Stade Numa-Daly on Saturday.
Lifou-based side Gaitcha took an early lead when Yohan Bako found the back of the net after just six minutes of play, before Tiga equalised in the 19th minute when Francois Fortez found himself free at the far post to knock in a Bryan Cawidrone cross.
However Tiga’s luck soon ran out as Gaitcha ran three more goals in during the second period thanks to a brace for Jean-Philippe Saiko and a final goal from George Bearune in the 72nd minute.
Tiga’s newly appointed coach Stephane Delande says with all the recent changes his side has undergone in the past few weeks the final score doesn’t come as a big surprise to him.
“We had a lot of our key players leave us at the last minute. It’s not very respectful of the group,” Delande says.
“Therefore we were forced to put together a team very quickly and that could explain the shambles in the sixth minute and for which we paid heavily for. In the second half an injury to Georges Wadirixexe, a central player, we found ourselves at ten and conceded a goal. From there it was over.”
The weekend’s final match was an encounter between the 2012 Promotion Honneur Grande Terre champions AS Wet and fellow newly promoted side Thio, who managed to earn a 1-0 victory after Jean-Pierre Aayawa scored.
Lossi, winners of the Coupe de Caledonie, had a bye and therefore did not play in the league’s opening round of matches.
New season Super Ligue action underway
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