Burkey’s late goal lifts Pachanga over Stallion

MANILA, Philippines – Pachanga Diliman FC leaned on Nate Burkey's goal as it sank reigning champion Stallion FC, 1-0, to move up to second behind Loyola Meralco Sparks in the First Division of the United Football League at the Emperador Stadium Tuesday night.

Scoreless after 77 minutes, Burkey ended the silence and connected after he eluded Stallion goalie Pedro Marenco for the goal that proved enough to send Pachanga Diliman to No. 2 with six match points on two victories and a loss.

Pachanga Diliman was actually in a three-way logjam with idle Loyola and Global, which earlier came back from a goal deficit to put away an upset-conscious Pasargad FC, 3-1, but had two goal differential, six less than the Sparks' eight and Global FC's -1.

Pachanga mentor Noel Marcaida attributed the win to plain luck.

"It was a lucky game, but at the end of the day, a win's a win," he said. "I'm happy but not satisfied with the performance."

Losing Stallion coach Ernest Nierras, for his part, rued the non-call in added time when Mario Javier Clarino was brought down inside the box by Reza Amirkhizan, which denied them a penalty.

"We lost to [Jimmy] Liman today," said a sarcastic Nierras referring to the referee. "He's the most valuable player today for Pachanga. He had an assist and didn't call the penalty. That's a penalty and everybody knows it."

Marcaida, however, said Pachanga's aggressiveness paid off.

"I think we deserved to win, we created more chances," he said.

Stallion thus remained with only a point, thanks to a 2-2 draw with Green Archers United-Globe in the opener last Jan. 11.

Pasargad appeared headed to upsetting a fancied Global after Jahambakhsh Zabihi Taher uncorked a thunderbolt from way out the center circle to give his team a 1-0 edge on the 29th minute.             

The lead vanished after eight minutes, no thanks to Ben Starosta's volley that sent the match into a deadlock with one goal apiece at halftime.

It was all Dan Palami's charges from there as sub Milad Behgandom and Marvin Angeles came through with a pair of rockets in the second half to put the game out of reach.