Ushant Lal from Tailevu Naitaisiri was named man of the match following their FMF Inter-District Championship premier division opener against Tavua, which took place yesterday. Lal netted the first goal of the match, leading his team to a 2-0 victory over a sidelined Tavua team, who played with just nine men.
The Vunimono High School student outmaneuvered Tavua goalkeeper Nalesoni Ravato in a one-on-one situation, securing a 1-0 lead for Tailevu Naitaisiri at halftime. Lal expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, saying, “It was a great outing for the team, we played as brothers.” He noted the importance of starting the tournament with three points and acknowledged Tavua as a worthy opponent.
Tavua’s struggles intensified when they lost two players in the first half due to unprofessional conduct, including their goalkeeper Josaia Ratu and Ratu Nalewadonu. Although Tavua attempted a comeback in the second half, they were unable to score against a resilient Tailevu Naitaisiri defense.
Tailevu Naitaisiri extended their lead when France Catarogo scored the second goal, once again finding the back of the net past goalkeeper Ravato. In response to the loss, Tavua captain Manasa Nawaikula expressed confidence that his team would recover in their next match, identifying areas for improvement and remaining hopeful for their upcoming game against Savusavu on Thursday.
In another match of the premier category, Nasinu and Bua ended in a 2-2 draw.