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NagaCorp progress to the championship final with a 3-1 win on penalties

As is often the case, when the first match is full of blood and thunder, the follow-up game is more of a damp squib, and so it proved in the second of the Metfone C-League Super 4 play-offs this afternoon. National Police were full of it after their recent win in the Asean police cup in Vietnam whilst NagaCorp had already won the domestic league competition but were forced into the play-offs, after the FFC re-introduced this abhorrent way of deciding the destination of the championship. Early on, Police's Nelson Oladiji had somehow construed to send his header wide of the target when it looked far easier to score and teammate Srey Udom had rashly blasted against the crossbar from six yards out. In terms of real goalmouth action that was about it until eight minutes into extra time when Teab Vathanak saw his drive pushed onto the upright by Police keeper Thong Chanreaksmey and away to safety. No goals after 120 minutes. It certainly didn't inspire two of the league's leading marksmen, Oladiji and Naga's Chuon Chum to any great heights. In truth it was a dire encounter and was no advertisement for Super 4 football in the slightest. However, as we had to have a winner, the match went into a penalty shoot-out. Naga's keeper Phorn Ratana, who could easily be mistaken for a ball-boy, gave his team the headstart they wanted by saving penalties from Nuth Sinoun and Ol Ravy, while Kop Isa and Om Thavrak netted for Naga. Srey Udom finally found the net for the Police but so did Teab Vathanak. It was left to Joel Omoraka to screw his spot-kick wide and that gave Naga the excuse they needed to celebrate progression to next Saturday's final, with a 3-1 success in the penalty competition. They will meet Boeung Ket in the final. The 3rd place play-off between PKR and Police will take place on Wednesday 12 September.

National Police's recent cup luck ran out in the penalty shoot-out