MCL round-up

After Week 18 for most teams, table courtesy of Sabay.com.kh

With the Metfone C-League program reduced to just 4 matches this weekend, it was left to Phnom Penh Crown and Boeung Ket to forge ahead as the clear frontrunners in the championship race while NagaCorp and Svay Rieng were left twiddling their thumbs by a short-sighted fixture listing. The latter two clubs have two weekends without games despite being knocked out of the Singapore Cup weeks ago, so it makes no sense that their games weren't added back onto the roster. That said, both clubs are effectively out of the title fight, so it makes little difference. Crown extended their lead to eight points by beating TriAsia 2-1 under floodlights on Saturday, but Boeung Ket bounced back to whip AEU 4-1 to close the gap back to five points. George Bisan with his 18th of the campaign, and Odion Obadin scored first-half goals for Crown after TriAsia took the lead through fleet-footed Suong Virak. The league leaders were always in command after TriAsia began brightly but faded. The next day, TriAsia took control of their match with four goals before half time including two for Mohammed Tijani and one each for Khuon Laboravy and Sok Pheng. Boeung Ket are praying for Crown to slip up in the final four games of the season, as the Rubbermen have by far the easier of the two run-ins. The teams meet on the last day of the season, Sunday 27 July. Elsewhere BBU and Army eked out a 1-1 draw, Rim Bunheang for BBU and Va Buthror for Army scoring, while Western Uni put another nail in Albirex Niigata's coffin, with a 3-2 victory on Sunday to move themselves out of the drop-zone. Yuseke Ueda netted twice for Albirex but Western won it with goals from Chet Phannith, Pen Panha and on-loan Svay Rieng striker Ly Saroth.