NZ LAUTOKA FC has won its first NZFFI Battle of the Giants championship with a 2-1 victory over Labasa.
England-born Darius Palmer scored a brace to end the district’s Bog drought.
Palmer who plays for Ngāruawāhia FC scored his first, beating a defender on a nutmeg to prod in the goal.
Labasa returned the favour minutes later on penalty kick to even the score.
Parmer clinically finished his second in the second half much to the delight of the ‘Blues’ fans and chalk up the team’s first major victory.
The game was stretched to some exciting and at times tense moments.
Lautoka was reduced to 10 men after Filipe Baravilala was sent off in the second half.
Lauoka’s James Hoyt, who had been a Nadi mainstay for years, was a thorn in the team.
Hoyt’s teammate, Darius Palmer and Labasa’s Luke Jorgensen were named the joint Golden Boot Award winners while Lautoka’s Roshan Kumar won the Golden Glove Award.
Story source: Roshan Ifraz Ali
