The ninth matchweek of Vodafone Premier League reached its end on this Sunday when the three remaining matches of the weekend were contested. Battle of the Giants champions Rewa are still on top of the table after beating Nasinu while their biggest rivals Suva are now in the second position as they have beaten Ba at ANZ Stadium.
Nadi and Lautoka clashed at Prince Charles Park in the first match of the day and Sitiveni Cavuilagi opened the scoreboard for Lautoka in the 25th minute to put the Bluez ahead until the end of the first half. Nadi managed to equalize in the beginning of the second half when Avinesh Suwamy found the net with a powerful shot.
Lautoka’s head coach Ravinesh Kumar made a change after the goal as Samuela Gavo came from the bench to replace Shivnil Singh and it worked perfectly as Gavo scored in the 67th minute to put Lautoka ahead once again. However, Nadi showed their power and the Green Machine bounced back as Rusiate Matarerega and Sakaraia Naisua scored once each as Nadi won by 3-2: “It is a lucky win for us especially the second goal as you can see it was a goalkeeper error. But I have always said Lautoka is a good side and good football and we managed to match that which was a good sign,” said Nadi’s head coach Kamal Swamy to FBC Sports.
The second match of the day was contested between Rewa and Nasinu at Ratu Cakobau Park. Despite all efforts, Nasinu were not able to hold the Delta Tigers that won by 1-0 with a goal scored by Tevita Waranaivalu in the first half. Rewa remain on top of the table with twenty points while Nasinu are in the sixth position with eight points – only one point ahead bottom-placed side Navua.
Third and last clash of the day was surely the most exciting one as Suva and Ba would be fighting for the second position in the league at ANZ Stadium. This match really met the expectations as Suva had to work hard to beat their opponents. Sairusi Nalaubu was the hero of the day once again by scoring a brace to give Suva the 2-1 win. Ba’s goal was netted by Sumeet Goundar. The Capital City Boys are now in the second position with eighteen points while Ba are now in the third position.
With five rounds to go, Rewa are on the verge of winning the Vodafone Premier League title for the first time in history. The Delta Tigers still have to keep the good moment in order to clinch the league title. You can check the current Vodafone Premier League standings by clicking here.
Oceania Football Center 