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[av_heading heading=’Ceres routs Global at home field to take first PFL title’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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CERES Negros claimed the inaugural Philippines Football League championship after dominating over Global Cebu 4-1 in the knockout finals at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.
Philippine Azkals mainstay Iain Ramsay spearheaded the attack with a hat-trick while Spanish striker Bienvenido Marañon added a conversion for the Negros Occidental-based booters.
“It’s been a lot of hard work to get to this stage,” Ramsay said of the Saturday night game. “Fortunately for us in Ceres, we’ve had a lot of success in the AFC Cup, becoming ASEAN champions. This just caps it off, to win the PFL title.”
The victory allowed Ceres to earn a slot in the group stage of the 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League.
Ceres wasted no time taking the upper hand four minutes into the match, with Marañon converting from inside the box from a pass by Ramsay. Global nearly had an equalizer minutes later but Rufino Sanchez’s attempt hit the crossbar.
Global had two more chances to level the count behind Sanchez and Hikaru Minegishi but all of their attempts were defended well. Ceres padded the lead 2-0 in the 20th minute on a tap-in by Ramsay from a feed by Stephan Schrock.
Four minutes since that conversion, Ramsay drained his second goal of the match from a cross by Jim Junior Muñoz. Global tried to cut the deficit just before the break but two attempts from Paolo Salenga fell short.
Sixteen minutes into the restart, Ceres pulled off the game-sealing shot with Ramsay taking advantage of a shaky Global defense to complete his hat-trick.
The Negrense team nearly increased the lead to five but Jose Porteria’s shot was blocked by Global’s Patrick Deyto. The Cebuano squad got a consolation goal late in the match courtesy of Darryl Roberts.
“When we started the season, we only had one goal, and that is to win the Philippines Football League,” said Ceres assistant coach Ian Treyes. “We’re glad we were able to achieve being the very best of Philippine football.”/PN
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