Metfone round-up

NagaCorp sit atop the Metfone C-League table at the midway point of the football season. Their experienced team, led by former national team coach Prak Sovannara, have lost just one of their eleven matches completed and are a point ahead of four-time champions Phnom Penh Crown, who have a game in hand over the league leaders. The top match of last weekend was NagaCorp’s meeting with Asia Euro University at the National Olympic Stadium on Sunday. AEU’s recent run of four wins in their last five outings gave the game added spice and it didn’t disappoint. George Kelechi gave AEU the lead just before the half hour and Choun Chum volleyed home the equaliser ten minutes later. AEU then spurned the chance to win the game when Naga goalkeeper Samrith Seiha saved Mohammed Hamza’s penalty kick. It ended all-square.
Phnom Penh Crown came out of the blocks after a week off and opened the scoring against lowly Western University on 22 minutes at the Army Stadium. Captain Khim Borey’s free-kick expertise did the damage. However, Crown found Western goalkeeper Ngoy Boranoch in inspired form and that proved to be the only goal of the game, thanks to the custodian’s super saves from Leng Makara and George Bisan. Crown meet AEU this coming Sunday in another mouth-watering clash, while leaders NagaCorp will face a resurgent Army. Without their talismanic winger Chhin Chhoeun, playing in a charity match in Indonesia with Crown's Hong Pheng, Army might’ve feared their National Police opponents but they didn’t show it. They edged in front through Phourng Soksana and then clinched the three points when Ung Dara netted their second on 66 minutes. Police will hope for better fortune when they meet Kirivong on Saturday. The Takeo-based team aren’t enjoying the best of seasons, and succumbed 1-0 to TriAsia last weekend, with an early Suong Virak goal the decider. That single goal success for TriAsia moved them up to fourth place in the league standings ahead of this weekend’s match against Build Bright United under the Olympic Stadium’s floodlights. BBU are one place behind them in the table and will be buoyant following their regulation 3-0 defeat of bottom-club Albirex Niigata last Saturday, courtesy of goals from Rim Bunhieng, Omokafe Adeyanku and Prum Putsethy. Svay Rieng and Boeung Ket had last weekend off and will return to action with games against Western University and Albirex Niigata respectively. The Rubbermen of Boeung Ket lie in third place with a game in hand over most of the other teams, while reigning champions Svay Rieng languish in ninth spot, with two matches to catch up.