Hekari Womens FC Advance To The OFC Women's Champions League Final
Level at 1-1 going into the break, Hekari came out strong in the second half. Talismanic striker Marie Kaipu was played through on goal and beating the advancing Mereseni Waqali at the near post to restore her sides lead.
Hekari Womens FC are through to their second straight OFC Women's Champions League final after a 6-1 win over Ba Women FC in the first semi-final at Stade Pater in Papeete.
The Papua New Guinea side turned in their best performance of the tournament in a dominant display and had they been more ruthless in front of goal in the first half, would have won more emphatically.
Ericsson Komeng's side dominated possession from the outset, were fluent in their buildup play but lacked quality in front of goal in the first spell before turning in a clinical second half performance.
Level at 1-1 going into the break, Hekari came out strong in the second half. Talismanic striker Marie Kaipu was played through on goal and beating the advancing Mereseni Waqali at the near post to restore her side's lead.
Just two minutes later, Kaipu broke through again—this time squaring the ball to an unmarked Nenny Elipas, who tapped it home for her second goal of the match.
Four minutes later Kaipu had another assist, setting up Elipas again who made no mistake for her hat-trick. Kaipu scored her second of the game in the 69th minute, her seventh of the competition, a header after the ball had rebounded off the crossbar. Phylis Pala rounded out the scoring from the penalty spot five minutes from fulltime.
The match had started with Hekari scoring in the 5th minute following a mistake by Ba goalkeeper Mereseni Waqali which allowed Elipas to pounce and slot the ball home into an empty net.
Michaelyne Butubu then had a chance to double the lead in the 11th minute, but her attempt was blocked by the Ba defence. Romona Padio then missed an opportunity in the 15th minute when she lost control of the ball inside the box with the Ba Women FC defence at sixes and sevens.
Hekari paid for their ineptitude in front of goal as Ba with their first foray deep into their opponents half won a penalty after a mistake by Gloria Laeli in the Hekari Womens FC goal. Captain Luisa Tamanitoakula made no mistake from the spot.
Waqali then made up for her early mistake with two brilliant saves to deny Kaipu and Butubu on the stroke of half-time.
BA Women FC 1 (Luisa TAMANITOAKULA 44'pen)
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