Weekend round-up

NagaCorp ran out easy 8-1 winners over Chhlam Samuth

Not enough hours in the day to post everything I should be posting. Take the football results from this weekend for example. Usually I try and get them online as quickly after the matches as I can. No such luck this weekend. It's now Monday afternoon and I still haven't found a spare minute to post them. Ah, here's that spare minute afterall. So who played who on Saturday? The first Metfone C-League match saw BBU meet the Army, with no foreign players on either side. I was very bored watching the game, the only highlight of which was a Pich Sina goal with five minutes to go that gave BBU a 1-nil success. In the 2nd game, NagaCorp dismantled Chhlam Samuth into tiny pieces and ran out very easy 8-1 victors. Choun Chum, he of the quick feet and name-change before the season started, netted a personal tally of 4 goals to take him to the top of the scorer's chart with 11 for the season. He could've scored more truth be known, but I'm sure he's happy with four, including a penalty, for which he was fouled. Om Thavrak rattled in the first after 3 minutes and there was no looking back after that. Kenneth Nwafor, mostly found sitting in front of his back-four, strode forward to head a rare goal, Sun Sovannrithy also scored, as did Teab Vathanak. Chhlam Samuth changed their keeper just after half-time but it made no difference as Chum put a hat-trick of goals past him in sixteen minutes. Ros Samoeun netted a late consolation effort. Naga went to the top of the table on goal difference above National Police. Phnom Penh Crown are in 3rd spot.


Sunday saw the shock of the weekend when Kirivong dealt Phnom Penh Crown a body blow, winning 3-1 despite Crown having the lion's share of possession, goal chances (more than 20 that I counted) and a corner-kick count of 11-2 in their favour. They did everything but score (until the last kick), and of course, they didn't keep a clean-sheet at the other end either. Kirivong must've thought Christmas had come early. In the second game, Boeung Ket will be cursing themselves and just about everyone else at not holding onto a half-time lead. Friday Nwakuna gave them a 2-goal headstart after 35 minutes, with two strikes within two minutes of each other. The first was a header, the second a glorious interchange of passes with Keo Sokngorn. Preah Khan twice hit the bar in the 1st half so were always in the game and so it proved later on. Nwakuna also hit the woodwork and missed a couple of other very presentable chances in the 2nd half. Khuon Laboravy poked in to reduce the deficit on 71 minutes and Boeung Ket keeper Peng Bunchhay made a few neat saves to keep his team ahead until a massive blunder by the custodian with just three minutes to go. Prak Mony Udom hit a 25-yarder more in hope than in anger and the grubber deceived Bunchhay who failed to get down to it, and 2-2 was the final result. Honours even and a good game to boot.

BBU will be cock-a-hoop with their 1-0 win over the Army after a bad start