Build Bright United crush Wat Phnom in a 6-0 drubbing on Sunday, while Kirivong Sok Sen Chey collapse to a 1-0 defeat by Preah Khan Reach in a nearly abandoned match at Olympic Stadium

Preah Khan Reach’s Lay Rasmey (centre) splashes it out with Kirivong’s Sok Va (right) during their Metfone C-League match Sunday on a rainsoaked Olympic Stadium pitch. Sreng Meng Srun

Build Bright Uniteds Prum Puthsethy (left) slots away his team’s second goal against Wat Phnom Sunday at Olympic Stadium. Sreng Meng Srun

Build Bright United (BBU) knew a win Sunday would put them back above Phnom Penh Crown and into second place in the Metfone C-League table behind Naga Corp.

Without top scorer Nuth Sinoun, they put their faith in Nigerian import Nelson Oladiji and he came up trumps within seven minutes of the kick off. Oladiji had already fizzed a shot wide when a touch by Augustine Ogbemi gave him the opportunity to plant his shot into the top corner of the net from close range and to set BBU on their way.

It was pretty much one-way traffic for the first half of the match. Ogbemi smashed a shot against the crossbar from eight yards out after Oladiji set him up, and then Oladiji sent an effort over the bar from even closer, with his knee.

Two injury-enforced substitutions weakened the Wat Phnom midfield quartet, and BBU quickly cashed in. Chan Veasna sent a measured pass through the middle, and Prum Puthsethy finished with a neat sidefoot on 27 minutes.

Oum Chandara, Nelson Oladiji and Chhum Sothearath all spurned great opportunities to increase BBU’s lead, with Wat Phnom goalkeeper Sin Pisal called upon to block their way to goal. At the other end, Wat Phnom’s best chance of the half fell to Ry Phearorun, but he rolled his shot into the side netting when it seemed easier to score.

BBU added to Wat Phnom’s woes just thirty seconds after the halftime interval. Oum Chandara’s weaving run into the area was curtailed by a trip from Puth Savuth, and Chan Veasna coolly slotted the penalty kick inside the posts.

Nelson Oladiji continued to terrorize the Wat Phnom defence and a last-ditch tackle from Khieu Vibol saved his team from going further behind. Oladiji sent two more strikes into the body of keeper Sin Pisal, and teammate Chhum Sothearath fired a low drive against the foot of the post as BBU continued to press.

Two goals in four minutes midway through the second half sealed the game in BBU’s favour. A mistake by the Wat Phnom backline allowed substitute Sophat Chansokunthina to float his shot into an empty net. Soon after, Oladiji grabbed his second of the match, holding off two challenges and finishing with a strong drive into the far corner.

Wat Phnom were going through the motions towards the end, and were reduced to 10 men on 87 minutes when Chan Youhan was booked a second time and shown a red card for an innocuous foul. In time added on, BBU wrapped up the scoring when Sophat Chansokunthina added the finishing touch to a great run and cross by Oum Chandara, who worked his socks off for the whole ninety minutes.

Kirivong SSC 0 PKR 1

Preah Khan Reach (PKR) won this encounter with the only goal of the game to stay in fourth place, but in true footballing terms, the match was a complete mockery and should never have been played. A thunderstorm dumped rain onto the ground 30 minutes into the first half, depositing a layer of water onto the surface of the pitch and making it totally unplayable.

In fact, the teams took a 30-minute halftime break, and it was announced over the public address that the game had been abandoned. However, referee Khuon Ly led the teams back out to play the second 45 minutes, but it wasn’t what anyone could call football. With the ball unable to travel over the surface, both teams resorted to hoofing the ball as high and as far as they could, which the crowd enjoyed but must’ve frustrated both coaches and the football purists in the audience.

In the dry conditions for the first half-hour of the match, Kirivong dominated proceedings and should’ve taken the lead but were missing their shooting boots. The chief culprit was top scorer Julius Chukwumeka, who scorned a couple of great chances, and with just five minutes of the first half left, spurned the best of all from the penalty spot. A trailing leg by Lay Raksmey caught In Vichheka and Chukwumeka stepped up to send his penalty heading for the bottom corner, only to see PKR keeper Ouk Mich palm it aside with one hand at the foot of the post.

The first half ended in torrential rain and with the pitch now resembling a paddy field, it looked odds on that the game would be called off.

However, both teams reappeared after an extended interval, much to the amazement of the crowd.

PKR were the team who adapted better to the conditions, and between the slosh-kick-miss of both sides, Prak Mony Udom came closest to scoring with three efforts that missed the target but gave his side the edge.

Thirty minutes after the restart, PKR got the all-important goal that turned out to be the game’s decider. Lay Raksmey’s right-wing cross slipped out of the hands of goalkeeper Keum Makara and Sok Chanrasmey was on hand to turn the ball into the unguarded net.

Kirivong made a few hearts flutter late on when Sos Nasiet’s long-range drive was taken at the second attempt by Ouk Mich in his flooded goalmouth.