Bula FC staged a stirring second-half comeback to beat South Island United 3-2 in an OFC Pro League round four clash at the National Stadium in Honiara on Thursday, a result that lifted the Fiji side into third place on the table for the first time this season.
The victory was built on a revitalised display after the interval, a turnaround Bula FC head coach Stéphane Auvray attributed to a galvanising half-time address and the players’ willingness to execute the game plan. “It was a fantastic finish, a lot of work, just seeing the players get rewarded for their hard work, it was really great,” Auvray said. “Our key moments were the half time speech, we stayed connected, thank God they believed in what I told them, and they went back to work in the second half, that’s what makes the difference in the match.”
The result marks a notable shift in momentum for Bula FC, who had not occupied a top-three berth at any point earlier in the campaign. Moving into third improves the club’s standing as the competition moves into its middle stages and gives Auvray’s squad a morale boost ahead of a challenging run of fixtures.
Auvray was quick to temper celebration with perspective, reiterating that the focus remains on long-term development rather than short-term point accumulation. “We are trying to build something long term, it is always good to win, and it’s always best for the players to validate their work. We are also not hocked on points and results, but we are looking at something we can do better in every match,” he said, underlining the coach’s emphasis on sustained progress and player growth as measures of success.
Bula FC now turn their attention homeward, where they will meet PNG’s Hekari FC in round five on April 12 at the FOUR R Stadium in Govind Park, Ba. The upcoming fixture represents a chance to consolidate their improved league position and continue the momentum gained from the Honiara comeback. Auvray framed the trip to Ba as another step in his broader project to shape a competitive, enduring squad rather than merely chasing isolated results.
The Honiara result and the coach’s comments combine to paint a picture of a team in development: capable of rallying under pressure and responsive to tactical adjustments, while being guided by a manager who prioritises incremental improvement and the validation of hard work. With the OFC Pro League campaign still unfolding, Bula FC’s climb to third is the latest development in a season that Auvray hopes will validate the longer-term blueprint he is trying to imprint on the club.
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