Papua New Guinea took full advantage in the second half as their three substitutes stepped up to control the game to see them through with a win on penalty-shoot out 3-2 against spirited Tonga side in the quarter finals on Saturday night at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, Fiji.
The score was 2-2 at the regulation time and in the extra time both teams scored a goal each to for for the penalty shoot-out.
The injection of the three substitutes Ramona Padio, Rumona Morris and Meagan Gunemba in the second half sparked off a fight back by PNG ladies despite a two goal down.
Tonga was leading 2-0 at half time through Daviana Vaka before imperious centre-back Laveni Vaka who grabbed another assist for Tonga’s second goal where she perfectly chippedto Jazmine Loto’aniu, who fired home Tonga’s second to further stun the pre-tournament favourites.
PNG had won all three previous OFC Women’s Nations Cup meetings between these two sides, with Tonga failing to score in any of those fixtures. On the half-hour mark, Team Mataliki broke that record in sensational fashion to lead 2-0 half time.
In the second half, West New Britain striker Padio pulled her nation back into the game, reacting fastest to fire home after Tonga’s replacement goalkeeper Meleana Taufa had saved Meagen Gunemba’s effort to trail 2-1
Gunemba who came in for Arnolda Dou level the score at 2-2 from the corner kick. Her corner-kick delivery evaded all-comers before finding its way beyond Taufa for the equaliser.
Gunemba’s ferocious free-kick and Marie Kaipu’s one-on-one shot were then well saved by Taufa.
Tonga Loto’aniu shrugged off her marker and hit a low powerful drive which snuck past Watpore’s near-post for her second goal of the game to take the tie to penalties.
The match was one of the best ever games since the start of the tournament.
Half-time introduction Padio ulled her nation back into the game, reacting fastest to fire home after Tonga’s replacement goalkeeper Meleana Taufa had saved Meagen Gunemba’s effort. Gunemba, another substitute, then pulled PNG level.
Her corner-kick delivery evaded all-comers before finding its way beyond Taufa for the equaliser.
Gunemba’s ferocious free-kick and Marie Kaipu’s one-on-one shot were then well saved by Taufa, who was later fortunate her mistimed clearance was not punished by Kaipu, as PNG piled on the pressure.
Tonga held on until the end of normal time and Laveni Vaka again produced a tenacious piece of defending to deny Kaipu early in extra-time before Padio thought she had secured the win, heading home Charlie Yanding’s well-placed cross only for Tonga to produce more heroics.
Tonga star player Loto’aniu shrugged off her marker and hit a low powerful drive which snuck past Watpore’s near-post for her second goal of the game to take the tie to penalties.
After Daviana Vaka hit the post with Tonga’s second spot-kick Watpore was the hero, saving from Ofaloto La’akulu and Fololeni Siale for victory with her teammates mobbing their experienced stopper, knowing she had saved them from a shock exit.
Papua New Guinea will now play Samoa in the semi-finals on Wednesday, July 27