Ba secured a decisive 3-1 win in the Digicel Fiji Premier League against champions Lautoka at the Fiji FA Academy in Namosau today with rookie youngster Ryan Naresh stealing the spotlight by scoring the final goal in the encounter.
The match also saw Faazil Ali’s comeback, who returned to add depth to a Ba team missing several key players.
The game kicked off with Ba taking an early lead in the 13th minute as Penisoni Tirau found the net, assisted by Etonia Dogalau.
However, the first half was not without challenges for Ba, as Ali received a yellow card in the 30th minute.
Lautoka managed to equalize shortly before halftime, with Saula Waqa leveling the score in the 44th minute, setting the halftime score at 1-1.
In the second half, Ba regained control when Dogalau capitalized on a miscommunication in Lautoka’s defence to score in the 62nd minute.
The match saw further drama as Ali was sent off with a red card in the 76th minute, forcing Ba to play with ten men.
Despite being a man down, Ba maintained their momentum.
In the 83rd minute, Ryan Naresh came off the bench to replace Tirau and made an immediate impact.
By the 86th minute, Naresh extended Ba’s lead with his first goal and sealed the victory for the Men in Black.
