Stallion beats Laos FC, tops Smart elims

ILOILO CITY ,Philippines  – Smart Bro Mobile Stallion Football Club of Barotac Nuevo bucked an early lapse before whipping Laos FC of Leyte, 6-1, last Thursday to capture the all-Visayas regional crown of the Smart Club Championships at the Central Philippines University football field here.

After yielding an own goal in the third minute when goalie Louie Jay Sobrevega bungled a back pass by teammate Tommy Escoltero, the hosts, led by Ruben Doctora Jr.’s hat-trick, played like a team possessed and dominated the rest of the way to complete a two-game sweep of the three-club tourney.

Sorely missing Nigerian striker Ogwejiofor Cusmas, who was suspended one game after being red-carded in their 4-1 win over Don Bosco United A of Cebu last Wednesday, the Leyte booters still earned the second slot into the next round behind Stallion in the Smart-sponsored competition organized by the Philippine Football Federation.

“We started a bit slow after that early error and I shifted our attacks from the right to the left wing,” said Stallion coach Ernie Nierras. “But we still have a lot of work to do on our skills, strength and endurance in preparation for the next phase of the event.”

Nierras said by then he expects some of his other team members, including 21-year-old striker Wilson Muñoz, who is currently playing for Iloilo in the Under-23 Suzuki Cup, to be back in harness for the tougher battles ahead.

“Stallion was really a strong team and the absence of Cusmas hurt us. But we are happy to advance to the succeeding stage of the tournament,” said team manager-coach Jojie Ronda in acknowledging the superiority of their rivals.

Doctora, who saw action for the nationals in the 2008 Asian Challenge Cup qualifying tourney held in Iloilo, ended the Ilonggos’ anxieties in the 19th minute by getting a cross pass from the right flank to blast in a 10-yarder, the ball caroming off the goal post and into the net.

The 27-year-old pride of Barotac Nuevo followed that up with another marker from virtually same spot on a breakaway in the 31st.

Doctora then set up Francis Gustilo’s penalty kick in the 45th when he was nastily tackled inside the box by Laos goalie Ray Neil Caminong, who had to rush forward and tried stopping the Stallion forward after his team’s defense broke down.

The durable Doctora, who flipped over because of that tackle, looked none the worse for wear after that, while Gustilo drove in the penalty into the bottom left corner to give Stallion a 3-1 halftime lead.

He capped his productive day with his third goal in the 57th before giving way to forward teammate Jovanie Simpron, who also scored a hat trick in Stallion’s 8-0 demolition of Don Bosco in Tuesday’s opening match.

Jhenver Enverga added a brace (66th and 74th) as Stallion continue to control the second half of the one-sided outing.