Hekari advance to OFC play-off

A masterclass performance by the resurgent young Hekari United FC delivered two unanswered goals in the last quarter of yesterday’s final leg of the OFC National League Play-off against an equally strong, Lae City FC beating them 2-0 to qualify for the 8-nation OFC Champions League in in May.

Hekari's midfielder Yagi Yagasa was like man possed staring in both home and away play offs in Lae and Port Moresby.

Yesterday’s big decider was a thriller that kept the fans guessing when the both teams were left scoreless at halftime.

As the match wore on into the second stanza  Lae City led by PNG international, Alwin Komolong realizing it was do or die for them had to dig deeper to counteract and match Hekari's tactics energy and pace both in midfield and on the edges.

Both teams looked clinical in attack and defense at least for the best part of the half until frustrations started to creep in with a number of players on both sides yellow carded by the match referee. 

Heading into the final quarter the young Hekari outfit started to dictate terms to the their more experienced opponents using speed, skill and energy that kept play within Lae City's danger zone.  
Lae's midfielders and defenders got their work cut out for them. The injection of Lae's reject Yagi Yagasa into Hekari's attack literally changed the tempo of the game in Reds favour.

Yasasa who scored in the first leg last week, pounced on a through ball in the 83rd minute to scramble the opening goal before Joseph Joe sealed the result with a tap in three minutes from full time.
The fatigue factor and frustration  contributed to Lae's demise, allowing Hekari  to easily find the back of the net  in back to back fashion to seal the deal in their favour at 2-0  very much to the relieve of their loyal fans.

After match losing Coach Billy accepted the defeat saying his boys defended well but fatigue took the better of them in the end.