HONIARA turned up in numbers to cheer on the home side against Auckland FC in Round Four of the OFC Pro League at the National Stadium.
Auckland FC started the round at the top of the leaderboard with the Solomon Kings in third place in what was anticipated to be a thrilling encounter.
From the start, the home crowd rallied behind the Kings, and Atkin Kaua, Junior David, Bobby Leslie, and Sota Higashide led the attack.
Auckland keeper Oscar Mason was on high alert as Kings left winger Jez Lofthouse set up play for Higashide and Fordney Junior.
David Supa and William Komasi were sharp on defence for the Kings, communicating well with goalkeeper Junior Petua every time Auckland went in search of a goal.
Jonathan Robinson and Isa Prins led Auckland’s attack while James Bayliss was the defensive organizer. Despite all the action and attempted goals, the scores remained nil at halftime.
The pace remained intense in the second half as the Kings adjusted their attacking shapes, with Komasi leading the charge. He was close on a couple of occasions, his shots within inches of landing inside the net.
But just as the match seemed destined for a draw, center-forward Aston Burns scored a spectacular goal for Auckland in the 87th minute.
With 10 minutes of injury time added, Auckland committed an infringement in the box with seconds on the clock.
Higashide took the penalty shot for the Kings, but Mason was there to make another super save and crush the hopes of the home fans.
Auckland FC won 1 – Solomon Kings 0.