GLOBAL Cebu leaned on a first half strike from Matthew Hartmann and some stellar goalkeeping from Patrick Deyto to overcome Ceres Negros, 1-0, last Wednesday night in the second round of the Visayas Clasico in the Philippines Football League.
Hartmann curled a left footed shot from just outside the box, catching Ceres substitute goalkeeper Michael Casas flat-footed with three minutes remaining in the second half, sending the record 5,000-strong Cebuano crowd into jubilation at Cebu City Sports Center.
Over at Binan Football Stadium, Kaya FC Makati ended a three-match winless run with an emphatic 3-1 win over Stallion Laguna.
A brace from Miguel Tanton after an early striker from Jordan Mintah sealed all three points for Kaya, which conceded a late consolation goal to Yannick Tuason.
The results meant Global moved up to third with 17 points, while Kaya jumped to fourth with 14 points. Ceres fell to fifth with 13 points, while Stallion is still in seventh with three points.
Much of the talk before the match centered on the condition of the pitch with Ceres coach Risto Vidakovic dismissing the uneven field, saying it could cause injury to his players.
But as the match progressed, the Busmen looked more like the side that adapted well to the conditions as they created the first real chance through Stephan Schrock early on.
The match took an early twist when Ceres goalkeeper Roland Muller was sent off for a challenge on Sekou Sylla, who also saw red in the aftermath of the incident.
“It was very important because we got all three points,” said Global Cebu FC head coach Marjo Allado, whose side avenged a 0-1 defeat last month at Panaad Stadium in Bacolod.
Ceres skipper Martin Steuble was adamant that the pitch had an impact on the performance of both squads.
“Both teams have very gifted players,” said Steuble. “But playing in a pitch like this isn’t productive and it’s going against the flow. I believe even the Global players are embarrassed to play in a pitch like this.”
A frustrated Vidakovic was also sent off for confronting a match official in the second half. Ceres Negros team manager James Dinsay said the club has already forwarded its complaint on the pitch to the league.