Hopes alive

BY ROMULUS HUTA

SOLOMON Warriors has its last eight qualification hopes kicked back to life as they romped to a 6-1 thrashing of New Caledonia’s AS Lossi in their second Group B match of the Oceania Champions League at Stade Pater in Papeete, Tahiti yesterday.

A hat-trick to Gagame Feni and a brace from Kensi Tangis coupled with a strike from John Alick aided the Moses Toata-coached side to victory.

Morgan Mathelon scored AS Lossi’s consolation goal.

The win is crucial for Toata and his boys whom earlier in the week succumbed to a 2-0 loss against Vanuatu’s Erakor Golden Star.

Warriors needed the win, preferably a big margin one to keep them in contention for a place in the quarterfinals.

In the other Group B match, hosts AS Dragons edged Erakor in a seven goal thriller to remain at the top of the group with six points.

Dragons play their final match against Warriors and that will come as a decider for Warriors, who trails behind with three points.

Warriors can only progress into the last eight given the results in their match against AS Dragons and the match between Erakor and AS Lossi favours them.

Warriors got their match well started and it did not take long for them to get the first goal as Kensi Tangis slotted home the opener in the first two minutes.

Played under a slippery condition, Warriors maintained composure throughout the first half and came away with another two goals via Feni and Ni-Vanuatu importJohn Alick before the break.

The second half resumed and Tangis doubled his name on the scoresheet, giving Warriors a comfortable 4-0 lead cushion before AS Lossi pulled one back with a strike from Mathelon.

In the 78th minute Feni added his second in what could be dubbed as a spectacular goal where he chipped the ball into the back of the net past the AS Lossi goalkeeper who had already advanced off his mark.

Feni completed his hat-trick in the 90th minute unleashing a shot from the edge of the area past the AS Lossi shot-stopper.

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