The Extra Supermarket Labasa football team secured a 2-0 victory against visitors Nasinu in their Digicel Fiji Premier League (DFPL) match at Subrail Park on Saturday, marking their return to winning form. This win allowed Labasa to remain in second place on the DFPL points table.
Striker Tigi Molea opened the scoring for Labasa in the first half, firing a powerful shot from inside the 18-yard box to give his team a 1-0 lead. Young player Jone Lalagavesi increased Labasa’s advantage in the 80th minute, sealing the game.
Labasa’s coach, Ravneel Pratap, expressed his satisfaction with the result, emphasizing the significance of the win in maintaining their position in the standings. He acknowledged the importance of the upcoming away matches, which are expected to be challenging.
“The players recognized the importance of this game because the next few games away will be tough,” Pratap noted. Following a disappointing 1-1 draw against Nadi and Tailevu/Naitasiri in their previous two matches, Labasa will now head to Viti Levu to face Ba in Round 17 of the league.
Pratap highlighted the improvement in his players’ decision-making, as they avoided risky passes compared to earlier games. “We didn’t play any risky passes at the back, I’m happy with the players’ decision making. It’s all about fighting for the league title now, we have let ourselves down in some of the previous games,” he stated. He also mentioned the importance of maintaining a lead over teams like Lautoka, who are currently third in the standings and have a chance to rise to second place.
Pratap took a moment to commend Lalagavesi on scoring in his debut match for Labasa in the DFPL. “First game at home, getting a lot of game time and scoring a goal is a big break for the youngster,” he added.
Results from the matches included Labasa 2-0 Nasinu, Tailevu/Naitasiri 1-2 Navua, Suva 4-0 Nadroga, Ba 1-0 Nadi, and Rewa 2-0 Lautoka.