Union Int'l Manila gains crack at UFL top division

MANILA, Philippines – Union Internacional Manila leaned on a brace by Ebenezer Owusu and turned back Cimarron, 4-3, clinched second place in the Second Division and gained a chance of First Division promotion in the United Football League at the Emperador Stadium in McKinley Hill Saturday night.

Tied with a goal apiece after halftime, Owusu struck like a lightning twice, scoring on the 51st and the 64th in sparking a three-goal blast and building enough cushion to weather a furious Cimarron fightback.

But Miguel Roy and Bismark Frimpong came through with two goals on a 10-minute span starting on the 78th to push the Cimarron booters to just a goal from catching up on the Union side but just didn't have enough gas to snatch a draw.

Yves Luthi De-Luis opened up the scoring for Cimarron with a brilliant goal on the 36th before Union's Simon Bayembg knotted it five minutes later with a rocket of his own.

The other Union goal was scores by Mahmoud Ali on the 57th that was sandwiched by Owusu' double.

The win clinched Union second place with 31 match points, four points ahead of Agila FC, which is at third with 27 points, even though the two still has a match to play each.

Union will play a two-leg series against the ninth-ranked side from the top division, which is Air Force FC, for a spot in the elite bracket.

Team Socceroo has already clinched the division title and promotion to the First Division.

In the other results, Forza FC smashed Dolphins United FC, 5-0, and PachangaDiliman FC edged Army FC, 2-1.