BY ETHAN HABRU IN ADELAIDE
Solomon Islanders Rovu Boyers and Junior David have each won the 2025 champions medal and the championship trophy with their respective clubs in Adelaide over the weekend.
To cap it off, Boyers scored the winning goal for West Adelaide in extra time against Football South Australia (FSA) State League One Premiership Sturt Lions when both finalists were locked at 2-2.
Boyers scored in the 117th minute through a header for West Adelaide to win 3-2 and become the 2025 Champions of the FSA State League One.
David’s club Croydon FC won 2-1 against FSA National Premier League (NPL) Premiership MetroStars on Friday to win the 2025 FSA Championship Cup.
After the regular 22 rounds of games in 2025 FSA NPL, MetroStars was first on the ladder with 52 points, Adelaide City second with 39 points and Croydon in third with 38 points. Metro Stars was declared the FSA NPL Premiership before the top clubs entered preliminary finals for the Championship.
A similar trend saw West Adelaide finishing third in the FSA State League Premiership after round 22 with 40 points, Fulham United second with 45 points and Sturt Lions first with 58 points. Lions then won the 2025 FSA State League One Premiership.
All three clubs then went into a preliminary final for the Championship with third place West Adelaide meeting 2025 Premiership winner Sturt Lions in the grand final on Saturday.
Sturt Lions started the game strongly and scored their first goal in the 22nd minute. The lead was quickly diluted by West Adelaide as Connor Gollan scored the equalizer a minute later.
The score remained 1-1 until half-time before Kairo Felix conceded an own goal to gift Lions a 2-1 lead.
In the 62nd minute, the ball was passed back to the Lions’ goalkeeper and as he moved to clear it, goal scorer Gollan pressured the keeper. The lion’s keeper attempted a flick skill to confuse the West Adelaide player, but it backfired as Gollan’s slide tackle the ball and it rolled into the net to level the score at 2-2.
The grand final then went into the first half of extra time with the 2-2 score line and it was in the second half of extra time that Boyers would score the winner.
Following a corner in the 117th minute after a free kick deflection, Boyers jumped higher than the rest to meet the ball who headed home the winner.
The corner taker delivered a perfect high ball when Boyers was standing at the furthest goal post. The ball was aimed straight for the Solomon Islander who timed his jump perfectly and tilted his head left to change the direction of the ball into the net. The ball hit the hands of Sturt Lions goalkeeper but deflected into the net.
Celebrations ran wild as Boyers sped towards his team bench to celebrate with his teammates and coaching staff. West Adelaide led 3-2 with only three minutes left.
Wild celebrations then followed the full-time whistle as Boyers became the first Solomon Islander to score in the grand final and win the FSA State League One Championship with a South Australian club.
The 2025 season’s journey was well rewarded with a champions medal and trophy. It was already good enough that West Adelaide is promoted to the NPL but being able to bite the Champion’s medal surely made everyone satisfied for now.
As for Boyers, he finished as a joint-top goal scorer for West Adelaide along with Yuya Kato at 13 goals each this season.
Another Solomon Islander Junior David also carved his own journey with Croydon FC in the NPL level as they dethroned 2025 FSA NPL Premiership MetroStars 2-1 on Friday.
He was named in the substitute bench for the grand final against MetroStars on Friday where Croydon FC won 2-1 in regular time to dethrone the 2025 NPL Premiership.
Similar to Sturt Lions, MetroStars were the dominant league leaders and favourite to win the Championship.
The first half was relatively quiet with only chances recorded but no goals until the second half. In the 47th minute, Croydon player, Meiya Hisamoto scored the opening goal.
The goal resulted from a high goal kick by Croydon goalkeeper Daniel Margush which was headed into the opponents’ box and somehow the deflection from a MetroStars clearance landed on the feet of Hisamoto.
The Japanese international, dribbled towards his right before unleashing a powerful shot which MetroStars keeper Cody Oestreich could not stop, and Croydon led 1-0.
In the last minutes of the match Croydon barricaded their defence to hold on to their 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, even with seven players in the box, MetroStars would find a weak spot as a pass inside the box in the 91st minute found Cameron Woodfin to tap in the equalizer in the tightest of angle to level the score at 1-1.
The match was heading for extra time but a miracle last minute winner straight from kick off in the middle after the MetroStars equalizing goal would see Croydon scoring the winner.
MetroStars still feeling the effects of celebrations were outmaneuvered by an all-out attack from Croydon FC. A quick counter play at the left-wing side of the field saw Pasia John delivered the crucial cross into the box and substitute Andre Carle headed home the killer blow to win it 2-1 for the Polonias.
The match went on into added time, but MetroStars were outclassed by Croydon’s defence as they could not find a way to convert a goal.
The game ended 2-1 and soon enough, Croydon FC and David basked in the celebrations as they were crowned champions of the FSA NPL Championship.
Beating the dominant MetroStars in a David versus Goliath story was a memorable victory for the Solomon Islander as he reflected on his football journey that brought him to Adelaide since February 2025.
“For me the win meant so much for me as my first time to join any NPL club and then become champions. I’m happy with the win. I hope this win will motivate our young soccer players back in the Solomon Islands who have an ambition to play abroad.”
David thanked the Solomon Islands national men’s football coach Josh Smith who was instrumental in bringing him and five other local players including Boyers to Adelaide.
“I also wish to thank my family and loved ones back home who supported me; and wantoks and friends in Adelaide for their unwavering support in my football career so far,” David said.
David’s and Boyers’ participation in the South Australia state soccer competition was made possible through Australian Government support in meeting the cost of what it takes to get them to Australia in February 2025 under the Solomon Islands – Australia Partnership program. This is on top of Australia’s four- year SBD18.4 million investment to support the development of football throughout the Pacific.
