The Lae City football club has taken lead after round 18 of the Premier Soccer League competition with a total of 40 point from 12 wins and four draws in their 16 games played.
Sitting on top the 11 teamed points ladder, the boys from Lae are seven points clear from the second placed Gulf Komara FC closing in with 33 points.
The two had the top of the ladder clash in the recent draw where the Lae FC edged out Komara 1-0 to maintained their lead. Lae still has a game on hand, giving them the luxury to continue their lead.
The club axed out almost all of it senior players at the end of last season with the intention to build a youthful side under coach Samson Steven, a known development coach in the country and the decision is rewarding at the moment.
Moreover, with the mid-week game schedule introduced, clubs are playing two games in a week with higher chance of losing points then gaining it due to short turn-around time and high chances of players scooping injuries.
However, every match day gives a team a chance to bag free points given the total number of 11 teams registered for the season where a team goes on bye in every match schedule.
PNG’s defending champion Hekari United FC is in the third spot with 30 points while the boys from Manus, the Admiralty Islands FC is on fourth placing with just a point behind Hekari. However, Hekari still has a game on hand for a chance to move away from Admiralty FC.
The club is juggling the preparation for the upcoming inaugural Oceania Professional League commencing next year. This has seen imported players including former PNG Men’s head coach Marcos Gusmao from Brazil already soaking up the Port Moresby heat to lead the team in the new competition.
On the flip of the table, the dominant club from Port Moresby Soccer Association, a member association of PNG Football Association and the latest inclusion into the competition, Blue Kumuls is forming the base of the ladder with only three points.
Despite playing a total of 17 games the Blue Kumuls United Fc is still learning the ropes around the top competition.
Points ladder after round 18:
Lae City FC: 40, Gulf Komara FC :33, Hekari United FC: 30, Admiralty Island FC: 29, Pom Strikers: 28, FC Morobe Wawens: 26, United Highlands FC: 23, Kula FC: 13, Lae City Dwellers FC: 10, Star Mountain FC: 8, Blue Kumuls United FC: 3
