Ba's tactical switch puts one hand on EPL title

A half-time tactical change by Ba coach Ravinesh Kumar proved decisive as his side edged Labasa 2-1 in a top-of-the-table clash on Saturday to move within touching distance of the Extra Premier League (EPL) title.

The Men in Black took a major step towards winning their first league title since 2019 after Etonia Dogalau struck an injury-time winner at Subrail Park.

Kumar revealed his half-time instructions were to abandon attacks through the middle and instead exploit Labasa's defensive flanks after the teams went into the break locked 1-1.

"I instructed my players to play the ball and keep ball possession, to attack from the wide flanks of Labasa's defense rather than directly going through the middle," he said.

"We could not penetrate our attacks through the middle knowing of strong defenders like Lekima Gonerau and Sekove Naivakananumi."

Kumar said his players remained patient and capitalised when Labasa momentarily lost concentration, allowing Dogalau to finish the winning move.

The victory gives Ba a four-point lead over second-placed Labasa on 36 points with just two rounds remaining.

Ba dominated possession for much of the second half, creating sustained attacking pressure while Labasa relied on counter-attacks.

Despite the crucial win, Kumar said there was still room for improvement.

He described the match as a high-quality contest between two evenly matched teams.

"It was a hard-fought win and I think this is how the league should be: competitive."

With two matches left, Kumar said Ba would not be taking anything for granted.

"We still have two games left to play, anything can happen in the league in terms of upsets, so we will be cautious."

He described the victory as a turning point for his side.

"Both Labasa and Ba were fighting for the top spot in the league and hats off to Labasa players, management and officials, it was a gallant performance from them," he said.

The win also completed a memorable double for Ba over Labasa on Northern soil after their 1-0 victory in the Bic Fiji FACT earlier this year.

Labasa officials declined to comment after the match.

Match summary

Labasa made the perfect start when Rex Naime scored within the opening five minutes.

Ba responded late in the first half when Nabil Begg calmly converted a penalty to level the scores before Dogalau's injury-time strike sealed a dramatic victory.