Kaya-Iloilo moved into the top of the Philippines Football League (PFL) with a victory over One Taguig plus help from Manila Digger’s slipup against Stallion Laguna over the weekend at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Jhan-Jhan Melliza scored the only goal with a stunning free kick in the second half as the defending two-time champions claimed the maximum three points and leapfrogged the surprising Diggers in the table.
Manila Digger lost by the same scoreline to Stallion, as Fahmi Ibrahim supplied the eventual winner entering stoppage time.
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Kaya improved to 16 points after six matches, one clear of Manila Digger, which held the lead for the past two weeks. Kaya has a game at hand over the Diggers.
Dynamic Herb Cebu salvaged a 2-2 draw against Loyola FC to climb ahead of One Taguig for third with 14 points.
Both Cebu and Kaya are coming off matches in the AFC Champions League Two, but will also close their respective campaigns this week in the continental stage.
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Stallion snapped a three-game skid to go 12 points, one behind One Taguig for fourth. The top four clubs after the double-round league season will advance to the Finals Series.
Upset
In the weekend’s biggest upset, the Philippine Football Federation Youth Team downed sixth-running Davao Aguilas-University of Makati, 3-1, for only its second win in six games.
Hamed Hajimehdi’s late penalty allowed Mendiola FC 1991 to draw Maharlika Taguig, 3-3, for its first point of the campaign.
Mendiola came into the match with six straight defeats, a dismal start for one of the longest-tenured clubs in the PFL. INQ
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