Birthday boy Maycon Calijuri blazed a first-half double to set up Metfone C-League leaders Boeung Ket on the road to a 3-2 win over Phnom Penh Crown at the RSN Stadium on Saturday
The Six-time champions gave the home fans a lot to cheer about when Sin Kakada drove them to an early lead. But defender Atushi Shirota’s tackle on Brazilian Calijuri was deemed too dangerous by the referee who gave a penalty to the defending champions. The Brazilian neatly converted the penalty in the 23rd minute to level the scores.
After Julius Oiboh had narrowly missed the target by hitting the bar, Calijuri was back at his best with his trusty right foot in the 40th minute to send Boeung Ket in at the break with a 2-1 lead.
Crown’s Iranian import Pouya Hosseini, however, put the game back on an even keel early in the second half. But a reckless challenge by defender Ouk Sovann on Rosib drew a straight red card.
Reduced to 10 men, pressure grew on Crown to contain a sustained Boeung Ket effort for the go-ahead goal. It came in the 66th minute when Hong Pheng volleyed the match winner to boost the side’s tally at the top of the table to 23 points..
The day’s highpoint was newly promoted Visakha’s resolute 3-2 win at the Western Stadium over Hun Sen Cup winners Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng, who are struggling to get on terms with severe punishments meted out to several of the team’s key players and a couple of officials over their involvement in an on-field brawl with MND players last week.
It was obvious that the visitors from Svay Rieng were clearly shaken by the consequences of the Football Federation’s swift and decisive action.
With coach Hok Sochetra’s no-nonsense approach and his firm leadership, Visakha played to their strengths with the North Korean component contributing a great deal of thrust in the forward line.
The in-form San Kimheng, who had his name on the score sheet in the last three matches was once again the centre of attention as he steered Visakha to a 12th-minute lead.
With Visakha’s attacking formation consistently putting pressure on a rather feeble Svay Rieng defence, Kim Kyong-hun found plenty of space and time to work out the second goal in the 23rd minute and his North Korean compatriot Pak Song-chol burned the visitors with the third before half-time.
With a 0-3 burden weighing them down, it was an uphill struggle for Svay Rieng. A modicum of relief came in the form of Nen Sotherath’s goal in the 76th minute. Shonari reduced the margin with an injury-time goal but by then Visakha, who brought Nagaworld’s unbeaten run to an end earlier this month, took down another big reputation.
The much-talked-about Siem Reap derby between Angkor Tiger FC and Soltilo Angkor was a big hit with the crowd turnout of nearly 3,200 at the Siem Reap Stadium. But the enthusiasm of the fans was dampened by a goal less draw.
