MANILA, Philippines – Agila FC leaned on Olayemi Victor Bakare's injury time goal as it edged past Laos FC, 3-2, to jump to joint second alongside Union Internacionale Manila in the Second Division of the United Football League at the McKinley Hill in Taguig City Sunday night.
Bakare finished with a brace, the first one coming on the 16th that gave the Agila booters an early one-goal lead and the other on the third minute of the extra tie that shattered a 2-2 deal and sealed the deal.
The win sent Agila at No. 2 alongside Union with 18 match points on six victories against three losses.
Team Socceroo is way ahead of the division with 30 points on 10 straight wins, or a whopping 12 points ahead of everyone.
After Bakare opened up the scoring, Laos' Badrelin Elhabbib struck on the 23rd that tied it at 1-1 before Julian Vincent Roxas a minute before halftime gave Agila back the lead, 2-1.
Mohammad Ghasemi joined the fray and blasted away with a brilliant goal on the 75th that knotted the count again, 2-2, before Bakare sealed it for Agila with that pulsating rocket in extra time.
Laos was left stuck at No. 5 with 14 points on four wins and a two draws against four defeats.
Cimarron FC came back from two goals down as it turned back a collapsing Manila All-Japan FC, 3-2, to leapfrog to No. 6 with 13 points on four wins and a standoff against five setbacks.
After Akio Yamashita and Yohei Tanaka scored on the 18th and 39th, respectively, to give Manila a 2-0 lead, Cimarron came roaring back with goals by James Paul Condat that cut it to 1-2 before the first half concluded and Severino Floresta and Daniel Gadia on the 60th and 76th that sealed it.
Manila remained second to last with seven points on two wins and a deadlock against seven losses.