Ononiwu wins it for Kiri

Kirivong scraped through with a 3-2 win though looked 2nd best for long periods against Crown. 2 goals from Julius Ononiwu (no 7, far right, front row) sealed their win.

Julius Ononiwu came alive in the last few minutes of the Kirivong versus Phnom Penh Crown game on Sunday and served up Crown's first defeat of this season's C-League campaign with two goals in a three-minute spell. His first was a beautifully executed chip over Crown keeper Peng Bunchhay from the corner of the penalty area and he followed that by dancing his way around three defenders in the area and coolly placing his shot wide of Bunchhay's despairing dive. That turned the game on its head after Crown had led 2-1 with just ten minutes to go. It also took Julius to 21 goals as he sets the pace for the Golden Boot award. His Nigerian compatriot and rival for the coveted top goalscorer prize, Uche Prince Justine, had a wonderful opportunity to level the scores two minutes into added-on time but his diving header went inches wide of the upright, summing up the Prince's unhappy 90 minutes. He'd earlier missed a far easier chance, just eight minutes after the break, when he rounded keeper Keum Makara but sent his shot the wrong side of the post when a simple tap-in was required. And to make his misery complete, Crown were awarded two penalties in the game but both times Keo Sokngorn stepped up to take them, leaving the Prince looking forlorn and stuck on 16 goals for the season. Sokngorn scored both times, the first after the keeper saved his initial spot-kick. The Prince was bundled over for the first penalty just two minutes before the interval, after Kirivong took the lead on the half-hour when Ononiwu headed on for Tran Cong Danh to lace his shot under Bunchhay's body. Crown then took the lead on 70 minutes when Hong Ratana was floored in the box and Sokngorn sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot. Ten minutes later the Prince laid on the perfect pass for Sokngorn to net his hat-trick but his sidefoot from five yards was tipped over the bar and within two minutes, Ononiwu had levelled, and then dramatically won the game for Kirivong. The Takeo-team are four points adrift of the fourth placed team, Preah Khan, who are on 31 points, a point behind Crown and BBU. Next week they face Naga and then two easy games, against Wat Phnom and Ptrek Pra, to try to clinch a Super 4 spot.

Crown have only themselves to blame for failing to beat Kirivong and went down to their 1st league defeat