PHILIPPINES Football League (PFL)-leading FC Meralco Manila continued to create further distance from the rest of the pack at the top of the standings last Sunday after defeating Ilocos United FC, 1-0, in their fixture played at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
Despite playing sans key players for varying reasons, the Meralco Sparks made sure to stay on top of things, getting steady contributions from other players to swing to their fourth straight win in the newly formed national football league to improve to 12 wins, three draws and two losses with 39 points, 10 points clear of second-running Kaya FC-Makati and Global Cebu FC.
The Sparks started strong with Curt Dizon and Connor Tacagni testing Ilocos goalie Baba Sampana early.
The home team would suffer a setback, however, midway into the opening half when Alvin Sarmiento hurt his hamstring, forcing the Sparks to turn to their bench for support.
Mr. Dizon staved off a goalless first half by punching through in stoppage time, collecting a diagonal pass from Tahj Minniecon before outrunning Josh Reyes in the left flank and left-footing past Mr. Sampana for the 1-0 lead.
The Sparks kept the pressure on visiting Ilocos, putting themselves in positions to score anew to build on their lead.
But Ilocos would hold its own and contain the bleeding while trying to claw its way back in the match.
It would eventually fail, however, as Meralco did not allow any comeback to happen, sending Ilocos to its 13th defeat in 17 matches.
While they notched another victory and fortified their spot at the top, the Sparks still believe work still needed from their end to be where they want to be in the PFL
“Ilocos plays tough football but we stepped up in the second half,” said Meralco coach Aris Caslib after their win.
“Our defensive line stepped up but I was surprised by our [wasted] chances. We need to go back to the training pitch to work on our finishing,” he added.
Next for Meralco is a match against JPV Marikina FC tomorrow. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
