Papua New Guinea based Hekari United football club is out of the running as New Zealand’s Auckland City scored a late equalising goal to pull off a 1-1 draw which guaranteed them a spot in the O-League final. #Hekari has the services of Labasa reps Taniela Waqa, Pita Bolaitoga, Maciu Dunadamu and Ilaitia Tuilau. Isoa Donaldson is another Fijian player in the club. #After a goalless first spell Fijian international Dunadamu broke the deadlock in the match with his 50th minute goal. #Just when it seemed that a major upset was shaping up fellow Labasa rep Bolaitoga was sent off. A man down Auckland City used this to their full advantage and managed to secure one crucial point from the encounter. #Report on Oceania Football Confederation website stated that Auckland went into the Hekari encounter as the only undefeated team in the competition and needed just a point to book themselves a spot in May’s two-legged final. #But Hekari had just as much to play for, needing a win to keep their final hopes alive, and dominated proceedings under a searing sun.#City’s pressure was rewarded in injury time when midfielder Alex Feneridis curled home a spectacular free kick to break the hearts of Hekari, who won the O-League in 2010, and book Auckland a second successive spot in the final.#“It was a tough game and they were probably better than us for the most part to be honest,” City coach Ramon Tribulietx said.#“But I think we deserve to be in the final, perhaps not based on this performance but definitely overall. We only started to play after they scored but we fought hard and got the result we needed,” he added.#“It was a very hot day and the field was a lot bigger than what we are used to at home and that didn’t make it any easier, the heat definitely affected us. But we are now in our second O-League final in two years and, regardless of the way we played, the atmosphere is unbelievable in the dressing room. This is another great moment for the club.”# Fiji FA MEDIA
