UNDERDOGS Navua became the first Super Premier team to qualify for the semi-finals of the Courts Inter District Championship after beating Nadroga 1-0 at Govind Park in Ba yesterday.
Praneel Kumar's 16th-minute penalty was enough to earn the minnows a spot to the next stage.
Going into the tournament, Navua had the odds stacked against them but proved many pundits wrong adopting a stringent defensive pattern and relying on the rare counter attack to outfox their opposition.
Yesterday, Nadroga goalkeeper Levi Tawake brought down Sailosi Livatalo from behind prompting referee Rakesh Varman to award the penalty.
There weren't any celebrations by the Navua players after the final whistle showing their determination of lifting the Llyod Farebrother trophy for the second time in their history.
Navua team director Pravin Chand said the recipe for their success was keeping a low profile.
He said the bigger teams had underestimated them.
Chand said the different game patterns that they adopted proved to be fruitful.
"We came as the underdogs, kept a low profile and the other teams underestimated us," Chand said.
"We played our best and tried new formats of play. That worked for us.
"Beating the big teams is a morale booster.
"I have been getting calls left, right and centre from the Navua fans who want to help us. The Tui Namosi Ratu Suliano Matanitabua has congratulated the team.
"The boys are really psyched up. The game against Nadroga was very important. We were concerned about it.
"Fortunately we scored the goal and became the first team to qualify for the semi-final. There is discipline in the team. It is not only on the field but off the field also.
"We have been using the black board to set our pattern of play. We have been discussing this with the players. It is through the combined efforts of the coaching staff and the players that we have achieved all this so far.
"The boys respect me and have given their best. We have been treating each match as the final."
Navua won the IDC title in 2009 beating Lautoka 2-0 in the final.