Solomon Kings Football Club is now in the third position of the OFC Pro League standings.
This came after their 2-1 victory over PNG Hekari in Melbourne on Sunday night.
The match was played under an unfavourable rainy condition.
Japanese Sota Higashide and Junior David put the Kings in the scoreboard before a late penalty in the second half to narrow the scoreline.
Kings was reduced to 10 men ten minutes before full time after midfield Atkin Kaua was red carded for a late tackle.
Despite that, the boys were able to create few good chances and hold on to their lead before the final whistle.
Higashide was named the man of the match.
Jeff Lofthouse in an interview after the match expressed how privilege he is to play along with Higashide.
He said, despite the language barrier, football is able to unite them.
Lofthouse said, whenever he has the ball, he would look out for him.
Lofthouse said, its hard playing in a difficult condition given the showers.
He also acknowledged all the supporters that came out in numbers to support the team.
“We are glad to get through with a victory.”
He said, the team is looking forward to their next match on Wednesday.
Lofthouse said, the boys have a better understanding of playing together.
Kings Coach Ben Cahn said, the weather was a challenge for the team and he is happy with the win.
He acknowledged the boys for the match by creating a number of chances and earning three points.
“We are happy to go away with three points,” he said.
He said, the boys displayed some really good football but need to improve.
One of the areas is on game management, he added.
Kings will face Vanuatu United on Wednesday night and they will be without Atkin Kaua who was red carded for a late tackle.
Cahn is hoping Javin Wae who was substituted due to a heavy tackle will be able to recover on time for the next match.
Meanwhile, Hekari coach Jerry Allan acknowledged his boys for stepping up in their match.
He said, the boys did not play well in the second half.
“The boys have stepped up in the second half. Unfortunately, we were unlucky due to time.”
He said, they will regroup and try to do their best in the next match.
