Melvin's exit

Liberian international striker, Melvin Tarley is heading back to the States

Phnom Penh Crown have cancelled the contract of former Liberian international striker Melvin Tarley by mutual consent with the player. Tarley joined the club in March after a decade in top flight football in the United States, a country he moved to after leaving the country of his birth as a refugee. He started just three matches for Crown including the Singapore Cup tie and came on as a substitute in four other games, but didn't feature in the AFC President's Cup tournament. The hoped-for goals didn't materialize for either the player or the team and a joint decision was made to call time on the union. Tarley is heading back to his family in the USA today. That leaves Crown with a vacant spot in their squad for a foreign player if they so wish, as allowed by the federation rules. More pressing is the need for Crown to turn their form around after suffering a 2-1 reversal against the Army on Wednesday, in their meeting with the league leaders National Police tomorrow afternoon. With play-offs being introduced this season to decide the league champions, the race is on for a top-four place at the end of the regular domestic campaign and at the moment, Crown sit five points adrift of the fourth placed team and ten points off the leaders. That is a lot of ground to make up with just nine games of the regular season remaining.