Ceres looks to regroup after draw with Than Quang Ninh
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
MISSED out on the opportunity to create further distance at the top of Group G in the AFC Cup on Tuesday night, top local football team Ceres-Negros FC looks to regroup when it treks back to tournament action next month.
The “Busmen” took on Vietnam’s Than Quang Ninh at the Rizal Memorial Stadium and found the going tough, settling for a 2-2 draw that prevented it from getting the full three points that go with a win that could have boosted further its push to the top of the grouping .
It was something that the team was left ruing about after just as it underscored the need to play better next time around as the competition could only get tougher.
“As it is, it’s still a good result. But, of course, you don’t want to end up with a draw at home. We didn’t play well today, especially in the first half. We did not create the opportunities that we needed,” said Ceres coach Risto Vidakovic after the match.
The Busmen were down early in the contest after Than Quang Ninh forward Jeremie Lynch found the bottom of the net in the 26th minute for the 1-0 lead for the visitors.
But Ceres would manage to level the count before the break with Bienvenido Maranon scoring the tying goal.
The tight battle continued in the second fold before midfielder OJ Porteria handed the Busmen the 2-1 lead in the 62nd minute.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the visitors pulled even after eight minutes care of Nguyen Hai Huy.
In the homestretch both squads tried hard to get the go-ahead amid a physical jousting but no more goals were to be scored as time expired with the teams settling for a point each in the standings for their efforts.
With how things unfolded for them in the match, Mr. Vidakovic said they have to improve in their next games because as was seen in the game, all the competing teams will not make it easier for them.
“We have to improve for our next game. We have to be more focused. We have to play our best. All the team knows what they are up against when they play us so we have to play at a high level,” said Mr. Vidakovic.
After Tuesday’s Group G fixtures, Ceres (1-1-0) is still on top of the grouping with four points followed Cambodia’s Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC (1-0-1) and Indonesia’s Bali United FC (1-0-1) with three points each. Than Quang Ninh (0-1-1) is last with a point.
Leader on the board after group play in the AFC Cup books a spot in the zonal semifinals.
Next for Ceres is another home match versus Bali United on March 11.
