Solomon Rani's double and Rex Naime's goal helped propel the Hekari United FC to the Grand Final following a decisive 3-0 victory over the Lae City FC in the Premier Soccer League Semi Final clash on Saturday, October 26th, 2024, at PNG Football Stadium in Port Moresby.
Lae City upset the high-flying Hekari outfit in the final round of the regular season last weekend and gave the defending champions their first loss of the season. It was the biggest upset of the season, which took everyone by surprise.
Having a score to settle with the young Lae City side, the red-army regrouped and smashed the Morobean lads in the semi final, flexing their championship pedigree and securing a spot in the big dance.
The Kutubu-sponsored franchise imposed their presence and dominated the game in the opening 45 minutes of play but credit to Lae City, who defended their goal mouth valiantly, leaving the halftime score at nil-all.
Hekari upped their tempo in the second half by using their experience and bringing Lae City to submission, bagging 3 goals through Solomon Rani’s double and Rex Naime’s goal to ice the game.
Former Hekari’s coach, Jerry Allen took charge of his old team in anticipation to defend their title. He was impressed with his team’s performance, especially in the second half.
"They beat us last weekend and the boys worked really hard to defeat Lae City. We started a little bit slow in the first half but regrouped in the second half and played with a high intensity to score the goals. Overall, I'm happy with the win," Allen said.
Meanwhile, in the Port Moresby local derby showdown, the Gulf Komara FC defeated the Port Moresby Strikers with a 2-1 win to secure their first-ever grand final since the establishment of the club in 2018.
The stage is now set for the two Port Moresby-based clubs, the formidable Hekari United FC and the resurgent Gulf Komara FC, who are prepared to go head-to-head in the biggest battle of the season and vie for supremacy on Saturday, November 2nd, in the Nation’s Capital.
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