By ADRIAN STEWART CO
MANILA – Kaya Futbol Club-Iloilo bucked the absence of several key players to score a 3-0 victory over Stallion-Laguna Football Club in the 2022 Philippines Football League over the weekend at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
Jarvey Gayoso, Ilonggo Jovin Bedic and Daizo Horikoshi scored a goal each as the Iloilo City-based football club remained on top with 5-0-0 win-loss-draw for 15 points, while Stallion-Laguna dropped to third with six points on two wins and two losses.
Forced to play with a limited rotation due to “medical reasons,” Kaya-Iloilo went aggressive in the opening half with Gayoso connecting in the 38th minute off an assist from Mar Diano.
Kaya-Iloilo team captain doubled the advantage just before the halftime break with a fine finish from close range after Stallion Laguna failed to clear its lines at the 40th minute mark.
Horikoshi continued Kaya-Iloilo’s onslaught in the second half as he knocked down the team’s third goal of the game with a fantastic free kick in the 64th minute before they suffered a huge blow on an injury by Gayoso in the 77th minute.
In the other match, Azkals Development Team forced a frustrated Dynamic Herb-Cebu Football Club to a scoreless deadlock to finally register its first point of the five weeks-old season.
Dynamic Herb-Cebu had plenty of chances to break the scoreless deadlock in the second half but the defense of Azkals Developmental Team’s goalie Julian Schwarzer held on until the end.
Dynamic Herb-Cebu is now in fourth place in the standings with five points behind one win, two draws, and one loss, while Azkals Developmental Team is in fifth place with four points on the back of a win, a draw, and a loss.
On Sunday evening, Jim Ashley Flores came up with a late goal as Mendiola 1991 Football Club barged into the win column with a 1-0 victory over Maharlika Manila FC at the City of Imus Grandstand in Cavite.
The veteran forward converted from close range in the 90th minute of the match off a cross from Richard Talaroc to break the long stalemate and eventually seal the victory. Both teams now has three points each./PN
