Black Cats fail

Matchwinner Ek Vannak speaks to the CTN cameras after the 1-nil victory

In the first of Saturday's Metfone C-League matches, Khemara beat Chhmao Khmao 1-0 but made heavy weather of it and looked out of sorts throughout. Ek Vannak scored the game's only goal, five minutes before the interval, just after I'd announced the first half as the worst of the season so far. Ouk Chhenghat had set up the chance and Vannak lashed the ball into the roof of the net from six yards. He also missed a hat-trick of other very straightforward chances. In the 2nd half the Black Cats carved out a couple of very good openings but failed to pull the trigger and will rue their misses, falling to their third straight defeat. This was perhaps their best chance of a league point and they blew it, after crushing defeats against Preah Khan 6-0 and Phnom Penh Crown 9-0.

The Khemara coaching duo join their starting XI before the kick off, which earned them an official rebuke from the football federation. Only the starting XI are allowed to line up for the pre-match photo.

The Black Cats of Chhma Khmao sink to their 3rd successive defeat