MANILA – Ceres-Negros FC completed its unbeaten run in the 2019 Philippines Football League via a 3-0 blanking of regional rival Kaya Futbol Club-Iloilo at the Aboitiz Pitch in Lipa, Batangas.
Jose Elmer Porteria, Bienvenido Marañon and James Younghusband came up with a goal each on Saturday night as the Busmen completed a rare feat in the three-year old football league: it had not dropped a single match.
Both teams struggled with their offense in the opening half and in the early part of the second canto until the Negros Occidental-based football club notched the breakaway goal at the 74th minute on a Porteria header.
After a failed attempt from the Ilonggos to score an equalizer, Ceres-Negros doubled the advantage at the 90th minute courtesy of Marañon before Youngshusband sealed the win with another hit three minutes later.
“It’s not easy to be unbeaten during the whole league,” said Ceres-Negros mentor Risto Vidakovic.
Ceres-Negros finished the season with 22 wins and two draws without a single defeat for 68 points, while Kaya-Iloilo is at second place with 56 points on 18 wins, two draw and four losses.
Meanwhile, Green Archers United FC ended its campaign at fourth place following a 1-0 victory over Philippine Air Force FC. GAU had 35 points on 10 wins, five draws and nine losses./PN
