Sympathy time

Preah Khan's mister unlucky, Lay Raksmey

Lay Raksmey is a very unlucky young man. The national team and Preah Khan right-back is a dedicated professional, putting in extra training sessions and continually seeking to improve. On Sunday he was sent off for the second successive match for collecting two yellow cards in a game. I have a great deal of sympathy for Raksmey who has now been the victim of the needless yellow cards dished out willy-nilly by match referees in the Metfone C-League and it's youngsters like Raksmey who are suffering. The look on his face as he trudged off with his head and shoulders slumped, said it all. His dismissal was the only event of note in the 2nd half of the clash of the titans between Naga and Preah Khan, that fizzed and popped in the 1st period, but died in the second.
PKR started the stronger, tackling with intent in the middle of the park and not allowing the reigning champions to get into their stride. The game burst into life on 13 minutes when new PKR recruit Devide Njoku's deflected shot crept in at the far post. Within two minutes Naga were level when Chin Chom's early centre found Teab Vatanak in acres of space, and possibly offside by a good 5 yards, and he finished with ease. The goals were coming thick and fast and on fifteen minutes Preah Khan grabbed the lead again. Teenager Prak Mony Udom weaved his magic on the bye-line, leaving two players on their arse and picked out Anthony Nzekwest at the far post with a perfectly flighted cross, dispatched by the PKR newboy with a powerful header. As the game ebbed and flowed evenly between the two teams, it was Naga who struck next. On the half-hour, Chin Chom's free-kick was headed against the bar by Teab Vatanak and when Devide Njoku lashed at the rebound, Joseph Oyewole popped up with a deft header to direct it goalwards and into the net.

Preah Khan Reach line-up for the camera before their clash with Naga

Naga, resplendent in all black, played out a creditable 2-2 draw with Preah Khan