Phnom Penh Crown snatched back the lead of the Metfone C-League yesterday with a 2-1 victory over Ministry of National Defence at the Olympic Stadium.

Having seen 2012 champions Boeung Ket Rubber Field leapfrog them in the standings overnight, Crown were determined to get back on top, however a goalless first half kept things tight.

The Armymen found themselves in front on the 55-minute mark following a headed own goal from Crown’s Ngoy Srin.

Khouch Sokumpheak marked his return to the scoresheet with an equaliser eight minutes later and then, on 73 minutes, George Bisan clinched the game for the four-time winners of Cambodia’s top-tier league. The result sees Crown maintain their two-point buffer ahead of Boeung Ket, who edged out TriAsia 2-1 on Saturday.

A seemingly lost cause was turned around by Boeung Ket’s two foreign strikers in the last 10 minutes of the game, after TriAsia had by a seventh minute goal.

The league newcomers got off to a rousing start when Sok Chanraksmey fired the first salvo to keep Boeung Ket on the hop. While TriAsia spared no effort in trying to consolidate that early advantage, their Kampong Cham-based rivals were frustrated no end in their desperate search

for parity.

Choked as they were in their salvage effort, Boeung Ket could only breathe a lot more freely 10 minutes before regulation time when Sow Imbrahima found the back of the net to level the scores. Chukwuma Ohruogu clinched the deal for his side with the match winner five minutes later.

In the day’s first fixture, Asia Europe University and Western University drew 2-2 in a contest of fluctuating fortunes.

For a side hit by relegation worries, Western could smell the much-needed victory in the air as Privat Mbarga and Deun Sotheara scored a goal each within the first 25 minutes to go 2-0 up. Sok Sengtara kept AEU in the hunt with a 41st-minute strike even as Western refused to let their resolve be shaken and their opponents were equally reluctant to give up hope.

But moments before regulation time, George Kelechi did the trick for AEU with a goal that knotted the two teams up.