By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Just when Kaya FC-Iloilo thought they would eke out another 1-0 victory for the third-straight time, the tough Stallion Laguna FC had other plans in mind.
In the 79th minute in their tightly-contested grudge match and Kaya leading 1-0, Jhan Melliza of Stallion broke Iloilo’s hearts after converting their lone goal which resulted in a draw, 1-1.
After late substitute Ricky Sendra fired a long cross-pass, Melliza found a way to take control of the ball and sent his short-volley to the back of the net.
It was a usual good start for Kaya after breaking into the scoring column in the 15th minute of the match courtesy of Ilonggo Jovin Bedic.
However, Stallion was quick to counter with their defensive sets and disrupted several opportunities for Kaya which continued until the second half.
In the second half, Stallion played with a sense of urgency that allowed them to take the majority of possessions which pressured Kaya into taking quick attempts on the few possessions they had.
“Kaya is a strong team most especially their middle side. We know that Bedic is a strong player. It’s a good game for us and we were lucky that our first 11 and Ricky made a very big impact for us,” said assistant coach Richard Leyble.
Despite the draw, the Iloilo-based squad still sits at the number one spot with seven points and United City FC behind with six.
