The Army in command

The Army go from strength to strength, beating Kirivong 4-0

The Ministry of National Defense are on a roll. They won the Hun Sen Cup in the prelude to the Metfone C-League season and completed their 2nd successive league success against a dispirited Kirivong side on Saturday. They are 100% Khmer in their line-up, all of their players are in the Army, they are young, super fit and eager for more success. Next week they face a much sterner test against Naga and it will be a good indicator of how realistic their chances are of greater success in this season's league campaign. On Saturday they weathered some early pressing from Kirivong, who failed to capitalize on their possession, and Oum Kumpheak fired them into the lead on 28 minutes. His 20 yard drilled shot clipped the post on its way in. They'd lost skipper Khim Borey to a foot injury early doors and his replacement Sin Dalin went close with a couple of efforts before the break. Eight minutes into the 2nd half and it was teenager Kumpheak, who is growing in stature with every game, who extended their lead. Pheak Rady's free kick to the near post gave the young midfielder a simple headed goal as Kirivong simply watched. Though Him Salam leathered the ball against the cross-bar, Kirivong were never in it after that and Phuong Soksana and Sin Dalin only added to their misery with more goals. A word on referee Thong Chankethya. He simply can't help himself. He cannot get through a game without flashing at least 6 yellow cards. He repeated the feat on Saturday and in my opinion, only two of them were warranted. Someone please have a word with him. The club's are fined for every yellow and red card this season - I'm guessing the fines are going into the referee's end of season celebration kitty.

Kirivong suffered their 2nd consecutive defeat on Saturday

Sin Dalin (9) and his coach get the press treatment from the CTN tv cameras on Saturday