Ushant Lal from Tailevu Naitaisiri earned the title of man of the match in their FMF Inter-District Championship premier division opener against Tavua, held yesterday. Lal scored the first goal in a 2-0 victory over Tavua, who played with only nine men.
The student from Vunimono High School skillfully outmaneuvered Tavua goalkeeper Nalesoni Ravato during a one-on-one situation, giving Tailevu Naitaisiri a 1-0 lead at halftime. After the match, Lal expressed pride in his team’s performance, stating, “It was a great outing for the team, we played as brothers. Recording three points from the first game was good as it set the pace. We had to score goals and Tavua was a good opponent.”
Tavua faced a setback when two players, goalkeeper Josaia Ratu and Ratu Nalewadonu, were sent off in the first half due to unprofessional conduct. Despite a spirited effort in the second half, Tavua struggled to score against a resilient Tailevu Naitaisiri defense.
Tailevu Naitaisiri extended their lead when France Catarogo scored the second goal, striking the ball past Ravato once more. Following the defeat, Tavua captain Manasa Nawaikula expressed confidence in his team’s ability to recover for their next match against Savusavu on Thursday, acknowledging that the loss highlighted areas needing improvement.
In another match within the premier category, Nasinu and Bua battled to a 2-all draw.