Ceres crushes FC Meralco, bolsters PFL bid

Ceres Negros reasserted its mastery over FC Meralco Manila with an emphatic 6-0 rout to move within three points of their pacesetting victims in the Philippines Football League at Panaad Stadium in Bacolod last Sunday.

Flashing the form that gave them a 7-0 drubbing of the Sparks in a previous meeting over at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, the Busmen put up a dominant show of force and rained goals on the visitors on the night the province was celebrating the 119th Negros Day.

Fernando Rodriguez scored a hattrick for the second straight game as Bien Marañon accounted for a brace and Carlie de Murga added a goal as Negros continued its chase of the PFL lead.

The Busmen have tallied 51 points in 23 matches, just three off the Sparks (54), who have played 26 outings.

“We played well, especially in the first half,” said Ceres coach Risto Vidakovic. “We played with high intensity and if we do that, the result is usually very good.”

Marañon opened the floodgates with a long-range strike in the 22nd and De Murga netted the home side’s second off a rebound six minutes later. Rodriguez fired back-to-back strikes in the 30th and 36th to make it 4-0 at the break.

Rodriguez was on target again in the 54th and knocked in his third before Marañon wrapped scoring in the 67th to complete his double.

In the other game, Stallion Laguna leaned on the offensive exploits of Gabrielle Mascazzini (65’) and Fitch Arboleda (90+3’) to turn back host Davao Aguilas, 2-0, to improve to 35 points. The Aguilas remain with 15.