Labasa FC coach Alvin Chand says protecting their unbeaten home record since the Battle of the Giants final was one of the key motivations behind their hard-fought win over Rewa FC in the Extra Premier League over the weekend at Subrail Park.
Chand revealed that his players knew they could not afford to disappoint their home supporters, especially against a quality Rewa side that had troubled them in recent meetings.
“The second motivation is we haven’t lost a game at our home ground since the BOG final. So the boys knew these things were at stake and we couldn’t let our fans down this time.”
The Labasa coach praised his side’s fighting spirit after they came from behind to secure the important victory, saying the players showed tremendous character in the closing stages of the match.
“Yes, I am very happy. The boys, well I can’t thank them enough. Today, that fighting spirit that they showed was tremendous. That shows they are playing for that red and white jersey and that badge.”
Chand says Labasa’s game plan was to shut Rewa out early and avoid conceding in the opening 15 minutes, knowing how dangerous the Delta Tigers can be once they gain momentum.
However, Rewa eventually broke through after what Chand described as a lapse in concentration, forcing Labasa to regroup quickly.
He credited the senior players for helping steady the team during a difficult period of the match.
“Coming back against a team like Rewa is not easy.”
He also pointed to Labasa’s recent struggles against Rewa as another source of motivation, revealing they had not beaten the Delta Tigers in league competition since last year.
Despite the pressure, Labasa responded in front of their home fans and maintained their impressive unbeaten run on home soil.
Labasa maintains their position at the top of the standings.
