Mbata hat-trick propels Kaya to UFL 2nd spot

MANILA, Philippines - Kaya FC drew strength from Emmanuel Mbata’s hat-trick as it waylaid Team Socceroo, 7-1, to zoom to second spot in the First Division of the United Football League at the Emperador Stadium Thursday night.

After Chris Greatwich opened the scoring on the 19th minute, Mbata joined the fray and connected on three goals in a row – on the 29th, 39th and 42nd – to give the LBC-bankrolled Kaya side a comfortable 4-0 lead.

Toshie Hosoe made it a five-goal advantage on his brilliant header on the 50th before Korean Lee Jeong Woo broke Socceroo’s silence and connected on a 60th-minute rocket to cut the latter’s deficit back to four.

It turned out to be Socceroo’s last hurrah as Kaya shut it down while OJ Porteria put on the finishing touches with a brace.

“We showed we have goals in us,” Kaya head coach David Perkovic said. “It took us a little while to get going. Once we got the first goal though, it was pretty straightforward after that.”

Kaya actually had six points, same as Loyola Meralco Sparks, Pachanga Diliman FC and Global FC. 

But the Kaya booters had the second best goal differential of six, two less than the Sparks’ eight and way ahead of Pachanga’s two and Global’s -1.

In the only other match, Green Archers United-Globe blew a two-goal edge with four minutes to go in regulation and settled for a 2-2 draw with Army FC-General Trias International.

Jovanie Simpron and Paul Mendy gave GAU the advantage only to squander it, no thanks to John Cain and Thomas Kang who scored in a three-minute span starting on the 86th to forge a deadlock.

That goal by Kang, adjudged as goal after connecting a low shot from a corner kick, drew protests from GAU after Archers goalie claimed he got the ball first before it crossed the line.

“I don’t like to comment on referees but you lose the game because of that decision,” said GAU mentor Rodolfo Alicante, who rued their failure to cash in on some of their golden chances to put the match away.