One-way traffic

Phnom Penh Crown in their new blue kit for the C-League's opening game. LtoR: Pheng, Sokngorn, Justine, Bunchhay, Saidu, Sopanha; Chea, Tiny, Sovanara, Mpoko, Sothearith.

Phnom Penh Crown, who finished top of the league competition last season and should've claimed the title but lost out in the Super 4 Play-offs, made their intentions perfectly obvious from the outset of the brand new Metfone C-League this afternoon. They scored within a minute of the kick-off, slaughtered Wat Phnom 8-1 and have a squad that will definitely be pushing for honours again this season. It still rankles with their manager Be Makara that they didn't win the league last season and that will be one of the driving forces behind their campaign this time around. They have strengthened their squad with a host of new faces, of which four started today's game, and they made mincemeat of the ineffectual Wat Phnom line-up. The capture of last season's Golden Boot winner, Uche Prince Justine, could be the icing on the cake though Sani Saidu at the back will present a big obstacle for any opposition attack to overcome. The Prince netted his first goal, against his former employers, with less than a minute on the clock. It was a tap-in but they all count, especially to settle the nerves in your first game for a new team. After that it was all plain-sailing for Crown. In the fifth minute Keo Chea, another debutant having played in Vietnam last season, scored and just to make it a hat-trick of goals from new boys, Sok Pheng added a third just before the interval. By then, Wat Phnom were down to ten men after Chhun Mesa had been shown a 2nd yellow by card-happy referee Yien Kivatanak, who managed to find six yellows and a red card in a game where none really existed. Crown should've scored more in the first half with Sok Pheng particularly wasteful, but with a 3-goal interval lead, they pressed on in the 2nd half and eventually registered a result, 8-1, that they'd threatened from the start. Ry Pharoeun reduced the deficit for Wat Phnom but it was short-lived before quick goals from Oscar Mpoko and Sun Sophanha opened up a chasm. Keo Sokngorn's diving header was a beauty, The Prince showed his strength by fending off two defenders for his second goal and then turned provider for the last goal by Chan Chhaya. One-way traffic with Crown throwing down the gauntlet to the rest of the C-League in the opening game of the new season.

Debutant Keo Chea, just 17 and newly signed from Kep

Wat Phnom's performance didn't reflect their eye-catching shirts

Referee Yien Kivatanak and today's 1st toss-up of the new season

Sok Pheng scored for Crown on his debut, after playing for Khemara in the Hun Sen Cup recently