Club football returned in Tahiti over the weekend after a long break due to COVID-19, while results in the Solomon Islands have set up a make-or-break final round in the Telekom S-League. Catch up with the latest from the region’s top competitions.
Ladder leaders AS Dragon roared back into action in Tahiti’s Vini Ligue 1, scoring eight unanswered goals on the road to AS Mataiea.
It was a closer affair when AS Central Sport met AS Tamarii Temanava and escaped with a 4-3 win, while recently-crowned Trophee des Champions (Tahiti’s champion of champions) winners AS Pirae won 3-0 against AS Tamarii Punaruu.
AS Tefana were too strong for AS Olympic de Mahina, winning 2-0, and AS Tirae Tahiti drew 0-0 with AS Pueu.
Ba remain undefeated and six points clear of their nearest rival in the Digicel Women’s Super League in Fiji, after a huge 16-1 victory over Tailevu Naitasiri last weekend.
In the other match fourth-placed Nadroga made up ground on Rewa in third, beating them 1-0.
The news wasn’t so good for Ba in the men’s Digicel Premier League though, with the second-ranked Men in Black held to a frustrating 1-1 draw against Nadroga FC, which seems them fall eight points off the pace of ladder leaders Lautoka FC, who enjoyed a 3-1 win against Nadi FC.
Suva FC were too strong for Navua FC in a 2-0 result, while Rewa FC and Labasa FC (the latter being the competition’s only remaining unbeaten side) couldn’t be split in a 1-1 tie.
The Solomon Islands’ Telekom S-League is down to a two-horse race ahead of this weekend’s final round after Waneagu United were held to a 0-0 stalemate by Vfresh Isabel United, ending any chance they had of catching Central Coast FC and Solomon Warriors at the top of the ladder.
The title could have been decided when the Warriors took on Central Coast over the weekend, in a match where a Central Coast win would have handed them the title and a Warriors win would have seen them assume the competition lead.
Instead it finished 0-0 and now means the Warriors must win this weekend against Waneagu and then rely on Central Coast losing or drawing to Marist FC, to have a shot at the title.
In the other games played last weekend Kossa FC powered past Kula FC 4-0, an Alfred Sade double helped Real Kakamora past Honiara City 4-2, Marist FC and Southern United FC drew 1-1 and the Henderson Eels downed Laugu United 3-1, with Raphael Lea’i scoring deep into added time at the end of each half.
New Zealand’s South Central Series saw wins for Wellington Olympic (4-1 over Selwyn United), Western Suburbs (1-0 v Cashmere Technical) and Miramar Rangers (3-2 against Wellington Phoenix U20) in the men’s division.
In the women’s section the competition’s two top sides enjoyed victories, with Capital Football beating Canterbury Pride 3-1 and Southern United putting the same score on Central Football.
In Vanuatu’s Port Vila Vodafone Premier League Galaxy FC ran out 5-0 winners against North Efate United, Tafea FC beat Shepherds United 2-0 and iCount Yatel FC drew 1-1 with Tupuji Imere.
Ifira Black Bird FC remain top of the table after a 2-1 victory over Erakor Golden Star.
The Upolu Senior League in Samoa the premier women’s division saw wins for Faatoia Uta, Adidas Kiwi FC, Lepea and Lupe ole Soaga.
The men’s competition saw big wins for Vaiusu and Lion of Judah, while Vaipuna were 1-0 winners over Kiwi FC, USP got up 2-0 over Vaitele Uta and Lupe ole Soaga drew with Vaivase tai.