San Kimheng bagged a brace to steer Visakha to a 2-0 victory over Ministry of National Defense at Western Stadium on Saturday, with the Army outfit falling to their fourth defeat in six matches.

The newcomers to the top flight of Cambodian domestic football recorded the fourth win of their Metfone C-League debut season as they took the Army head on with some bold attacking, with North Korean strike trio of Choe Myong-ho, Pak Song-chol and Kim Kyong-hun doing much of the running and hard work.

On the stroke of half-time, Pak Song-chol’s cross fell invitingly into the path of Kimheng, whose tidy finish caught keeper Um Sereyrath flat.

Though Army kept pushing for an equaliser, Visakha were better organised and more disciplined in their approach, and Kim Kyong-hun’s precise centre found Kimheng, who rifled home in the 75th minute.

Despite some threatening Army counters, Visakha’s solidity was never fully threatened.

At least for one night, Visakha were at the league summit, level on points with NagaWorld and Boeung Ket – although Naga and Boeung Ket were due to play on Sunday.

At the AEU Sport Park in Phnom Penh, home side Asia Europe United drew with Siem Reap-based side Angkor Tiger 2-2 in a game marred by ugly second-half scenes as two players traded expletives in a row that ended in a red card.

The Tigers shot ahead just past the half-hour mark when Kazuteru Okamoto found the target only to see Befolo Mbarga equalise for AEU eight minutes later.

An hour in, Ryota Hayashi once again got the Tigers in front but the lead would disappear within two minutes when Okereke Timothy brought AEU on par only to later become embroiled in a row with a rival player.

Both players allegedly used foul language but it was Timothy who ended up on the wrong side of the referee, who took out a straight red, a decision seen by many as disproportionate to what was a heat of the moment exchange.