KEY POINTS:
Police escorted match officials from the field at Govind Park in Ba, Fiji, today after Waitakere United players surrounded them protesting after a 1-2 loss to Ba in the first leg of Oceania club soccer championship.
Only seconds earlier Ba had scored an own goal that would have given Waitakere a 2-2 draw, but the Waitakere were ruled offside by a linesman.
The west Auckland club players surrounded the referee and linesman at the final whistle, to protest the offside ruling, and police on duty at the ground quickly intervened to escort the officials off.
"I'd like to see that again on tape," Waitakere coach Steve Cain said.
"I don't think we touched it. It was an own goal. But in saying that we let in two soft goals which shouldn't have happened. That was disappointing. We were much better in the second half."
Cain said the fact they had scored an away goal was vital to the outcome of the series, with the home leg scheduled for next Sunday in Auckland.
Fiji champions Ba led 1-0 at halftime after a spectacular goal by their striker Ronald Chandra in the eighth minute.
A timely cross from Josaia Bukalidi on the right beat defender Danny Hay and Chandra tipped it into the net past a hapless Michael Utting.
Utting made two good saves to keep Waitakere in touch in the first half.
Commins Menapi equalised in the 55th minute but he often lacked support whenever Waitakere built up their game to threaten the Fijian goal.
Ba moved the midfielders further upfield as they sought a winner and it paid off when the skilful Osea Vakatalesau slipped past two defenders and presented Bukalidi a one-on-one chance against goalkeeper Utting, who didn't stand a chance.
Ba (Fiji) 2 (Ronald Chandra 8th, Josaia Bukalidi 30th), Waitakere United 1 (Commins Menapi 1 (55th). Halftime: 1-0.
- NZPA
