Boeung Ket Rubber Field’s Degule Momoh (right) shoots past Phnom Penh Crown’s Odion Obadin in their Metfone C-League match yesterday at Olympic Stadium. Photograph: Sreng Meng Srun/Phnom Penh Post

Boeung Ket Rubber Field’s Degule Momoh (right) shoots past Phnom Penh Crown’s Odion Obadin in their Metfone C-League match yesterday at Olympic Stadium. Photograph: Sreng Meng Srun/Phnom Penh Post

The reigning champions collected a seventh straight victory of a perfect start to their title defence after beating Crown 3-1. Momoh opened the scoring with a wonder strike from distance on 16 minutes.

Moments later, Crown were reduced to 10 men as Noy Srin picked up a second yellow. Chan Vathanaka then nudged the Kampong Cham club further ahead with a penalty.

Bin Thierry pegged one back for Crown with a superbly taken free kick at the stroke of half-time, but Chan Vathanaka put the game to bed with quarter of an hour left in the game via another successful spotkick, ensuring Boeung Ket maintained their five-point cushion at the top of the table.

In the earlier kick-off, Preah Khan Reach made sure of second place with a 2-0 win over Ministry of National Defence thanks to a brace either side of the break from start striker Khoun Laboravy.