Sloppy at both ends

Determination etched on the face of Crown's Odion Obadin before the match

Defending that my grandmother would've been ashamed of allowed NagaCorp to earn themselves a cheap 2-1 win over Phnom Penh Crown this afternoon in the only Metfone C-League midweek game at Olympic Stadium. To switch off either side of the half-time break after taking a 23rd minute lead through a fabulous Khim Borey goal was nothing short of criminal negligence. And two chances that went begging to level the game late on were equally culpable. Let's call it a bad day at the office but with this second defeat in their first three league matches, it's not the start to a new season that PPCFC and their supporters expect. With an unchanged line-up and facing a Naga team with three of last season's Crown squad (Sopanha, Sothearith, Nwafor), David Booth's men began confidently, so much so that Odion Obadin even tried a 40-yeard free-kick that sailed harmlessly over. Emmanuel Frimpong undoubtedly has a sweet left-footed range of passes and an inch-perfect 30-yarder on 23 minutes, picked out Khim Borey's run into the box. Borey, who played with Frimpong at Sisaket last season, controlled it and dinked it over the Naga keeper as he came off his line. A goal of sublime quality to put Crown in front. Whether the Crown players felt one goal was enough is hard to say but from that point on, they took their foot off the gas. The sprightly Chuon Chum left Tieng Tiny and Obadin in his wake as he bore down on goal, only to screw his shot wide of the far post, but the writing was on the wall. With three minutes to go before the half-time break, a quick throw-in caught Crown cold, Teab Vathanak crossed and Chum rose unopposed to loop a header over Yok Ary's slow-motion dive for the equalizer.

With David Booth's half-time warning to pick up at free-kicks and corners ringing in their ears, the Crown defence did exactly the opposite. Just two minutes into the second-half a lofted Sun Sopanha free-kick from the left-wing found Neang Chenla in acres of space and his header bounced across Ary and into the far corner. It was a kick in the guts. Just four minutes later Kouch Sokumpheak thought he'd levelled but the match officials were unmoved. Ouk Sothy's cross to the far post saw Sokumpheak send his diving header goalwards, only for Naga keeper Phorn Ratana to claw the ball away from the goal-line with one hand and referee Yien Kivatanak waved play on. From the resulting Borey corner kick, Sokumpheak's looping header was heading for the top corner before Ratana palmed it from under the cross-bar. At the other end, Yok Ary kept Teab Vathanak's up-and-over free-kick out with a one-handed push over. A couple of minutes later and Naga sub Shola Lawal's rolled shot spun wide of the target and later, Tieng Tiny blocked his goal-bound drive after he skated past two defenders and raced into the box. Sothy thought he'd netted until his hooked shot was headed clear by Nofiu Lawal but Crown will look at two misses in the final stages of the game that should've earned them at least a point. On 82 minutes, a hurried punch-out by Naga keeper Ratana found Borey lying in wait twenty yards from goal, but his return looping header sailed wide of the gaping net by a foot. Two minutes later the miss of the match fell to American import and substitute Melvin Tarley. Sothy ghosted to the bye-line and his perfect pull-back to Tarley on the six-yard box looked a certain equalizer. Instead, Tarley leaned back and watched in horror as his left-foot shot sailed well over the cross-bar. Everyone stood in open-mouthed amazement. That was the last chance of the game as Naga held out for a 2-1 success that they will know was handed to them on a plate.
PPCFC v Naga: Ary, Rady, Sovan, Tiny, Obadin (S Pheng 76), Dara, Sothy, Frimpong, Suhana (Tarley 58), Borey, Sokumpheak. Subs not used: Chamrouen, Seyha, Vanthan, Lika, Sophanal, Rathanak, Sovanna, Makara, H Pheng. Bookings: Tarley, Rady, Frimpong, Tiny.

Crown V NagaCorp: Back Row LtoR: Tiny, Sovan, Dara, Frimpong, Obadin, Borey. Front: Rady, Suhana, Ary, Sothy, Sokumpheak

The Crown bench just before kick-off

NagaCorp line-up for the photographers

A pre-match pep-talk inside the Crown dressing room