Round four of the 2024 Rarotonga Football Season wrapped up with intense competition across all divisions, showcasing a mix of dominant performances and nail-biting finishes.

In the feature match, Tupapa Maraerenga’s Premier Men continued their strong run with a commanding 5-0 win over Avatiu.

The defending champions took control early, with Grover Harmon opening the scoring. Avi Enoka added the second, and Marcus Gibbens struck just before halftime to send Tupapa into the break with a comfortable 3-0 lead.

Avatiu’s goalkeeper Luke Vidovi was instrumental in keeping the scoreline from getting out of hand, making several crucial saves despite the relentless pressure from Tupapa’s attack.

In the second half, Avatiu showed more fight, with their midfielders Tione Nand and Joseph Crocombe delivering well-placed balls to left winger Andrew Teena. Teena used his blistering pace to exploit space down the flank, catching Tupapa’s right back off guard on multiple occasions. His runs sparked some promising attacks for Avatiu, but they couldn’t capitalise in front of goal.

Tupapa, however, maintained their composure and added two more goals – one from Henry McKenzie and the other from Tahitoa Webb, who celebrated his season debut with his first goal.

Over at Nikao Field, the Premier Men’s clash between Nikao Sokattak and Puaikura ended in a high-scoring 4-3 victory for Puaikura.

It was a match filled with end-to-end action, as Puaikura’s attacking unit led by Dwayne Tiputoa, scoring all four goals, and their strikers Tepa Tuaputa and Akiona Tairi proved too much for Nikao’s defence.

Nikao put up a strong fight, keeping the pressure on with goals of their own, but Puaikura’s ability to capitalise on key moments was decisive. The victory helps Puaikura recover from their earlier setbacks and keep pace with the top teams, while Nikao will be reflecting on missed opportunities in a match where they showed plenty of determination.

On Friday, Matavera-Ngatangiia’s Premier Men secured their third win of the season with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Titikaveka.

Both teams showed resilience, battling to control the pace of the match. Matavera created several chances, but Titikaveka’s young goalkeeper, Tunui Tunui, made key stops to keep his side in the game.

Despite this, Matavera’s experience shone through as they capitalised on critical moments. Titikaveka, on the other hand, had numerous opportunities at goal but couldn’t convert them.

In the Senior Women’s match, defending champions Avatiu secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Tupapa Maraerenga.

The match was a tightly contested affair, with Avatiu’s defence holding firm against a determined Tupapa attack. Avatiu’s winning goal, by Georgia Hickes came in the second half with 15 minutes remaining on the clock.

Despite consistent pressure from Tupapa in the final minutes, Avatiu’s goalkeeper stood tall with a series of saves. The win gives Avatiu a much-needed confidence boost as they recover from recent challenges, while Tupapa will be looking to refine their finishing after missing several opportunities to equalise.

The Puaikura Senior Women’s team sent a strong message to the competition with a dominant 7-1 victory over Nikao Sokattak, with Puaikura’s Victoria Fatiaki scoring five goals and Pekarau Mataio and Teupoko Tuariki scoring one a piece.

Nikao’s Mavis Makara got the consolation goal for her side.

Puaikura set the tone early, applying relentless pressure that saw them take control of the game from the start. Their combination plays and clinical finishing proved too much for Nikao’s defence, which struggled to keep up with Puaikura’s quick transitions and sharp movement in the final third.

Last Thursday’s Senior Women’s match between Matavera-Ngatangiia and Titikaveka ended in a hard-fought 1-1 draw.

Both teams showed plenty of tenacity, with Titikaveka’s organised backline keeping Matavera’s forwards at bay for most of the match. Matavera, however, found a way through with a well-taken goal late in the second half, only for Titikaveka to quickly respond and level the score.

• CIFA Media

Results

U6 Mix Division – Tupapa Maraerenga 2 Avatiu 1, Titikaveka 3 Puaikura 1.

Matavera-Ngatangiia vs Titikaveka – Premier Men 3-2, Senior Women 1-1, U18 Men 1-2, U15 Boys 0-0, U15 Girls 0-4, U12 Mix 2-3, U10 Mix 3-2, U8 Mix 2-4.

Tupapa Maraerenga vs Avatiu – Premier Men 5-0, Senior Women 0-1, U18 Men 0-2, U15 Boys 0-11, U15 Girls 2-0, U12 Mix 0-2, U10 Mix 8-0, U8 Mix 1-4. Nikao Sokattak vs Puaikura – Premier Men 3-4, Senior Women 1-7, U18 Men 6-0, U15 Boys 1-1, U15 Girls 1-0, U12 Mix 14-0, U10 Mix 2-5, U8 Mix 0-11.