Military Police-backed Preah Khan Reach continued their strong second leg showing with an emphatic 2-0 victory over Kirivong Sok Sen Chey yesterday to move clear in third place in the Metfone C-League.

Deft midfield combination play at Olympic Stadium saw Tum Saray fire PKR in front and a spectacular back-heel deflection off a Prak Mony Udom corner by 15-year-old Moul Daravoan came as icing on the cake for last year’s runners-up.

A plethora of incisive moves by PKR  fizzled out as near-misses either through poor finishing or the sheer force of Kirivong’s plucky defence.

If chances meant goals, PKR could well have been counting triple their tally.

While the Kirivong backline deserve some credit for limiting the damage to just two goals, the Takeo side’s frontliners were guilty of spurning several prominent chances in open play.

It just wasn’t Oladiji Olatunde’s day. The African import was fabulously fed from the midfield but his shooting skills frequently failed him. A regulation header from close range was overdone, and when another finish demanded finesse, he opted for power and sprayed his intended flick wide into the bargain.  

PKR’s final big test is next Saturday, when they meet Phnom Penh Crown in a grudge match.

PKR could do themselves, and Naga Corp, a big favour if they manage to snatch a point or three from the reigning champions and keep the league’s competitive interest alive.

If PKR were to go down in that needle game, Crown would be handed the title a week early, rendering their last game on September 4 against Naga a mere formality.

BBU whip Rithy Sen

BUILD Bright United rained goals on a hapless Rithy Sen as the tailenders suffered a 6-0 drubbing at the hands of the University-backed side in yesterday’s second league game.

Taking the pitch after three successive defeats, BBU were keen to get back to their winning ways and Rithy Sen proved a soft, compliant target.

Prum Puthsethy stole the thunder for BBU with a 10th- minute strike that he turned into a coveted hat-trick late in the game by scoring two more just four minutes apart.

Chun Sothearath and Chan Veasna (penalty) added their might even as an extra-time goal by Seng Kosen served to stretch the scoreline to an unanswered half-dozen.

Winless in all 16 matches, Rithy Sen have continuously been reminded how hard and cruel life in the top flight of Cambodian football can be as they prepare to go back to Divis-ion A1 next year.

Yet the professed punching bags of the season showed a lot of gumption in defending their half and often launching their own counters.

But for some astute backline work, the BBU scoreline could well have been a lot bigger.

While Rithysen take on Kirivong Sok Sen Chey and Preah Khan Reach in the next two rounds, BBU are up against Chhlam Samuth next and wind up their campaign against National Police on September 3.