Ariel Nguekam fired a hat-trick as United City FC bagged their fourth straight win in a pulsating 4-2 victory against Manila Digger FC in Saturday’s PFL action at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Coming off wins from their previous matches, both sides were looking to keep their win streak alive, but it was United City FC who took the initiative early.
Nguekam started his goal tally in the opening seconds of the game with the forward tapping in a cross by Troy Limbo from the right flank.
The forward added a second goal at the stroke of half-time, heading home Mark Hartmann’s cross to double the lead.
But Manila Digger sprung back to life in the 70th minute when striker Salifu Jatta fired home from just inside the box after UCFC failed to clear their lines.
It was 2-2 just seconds later as United City goalkeeper Henri Bandeken Fong suffered a lapse in concentration allowing Jatta to curl the ball home from a tight angle. Fong thought he had shepherd the ball out for a corner but the referees did not make a call, before Jatta raced unto the ball and curled the ball from a difficult angle for the equalizer.
Recovering their bearings, United City went ahead again with Ngeukam completing his hat-trick with a header from Darlton Digha’s pass in the 83rd minute. Substitute Koffi Bini added a fourth right before full-time
United City FC leapfrogged past Manila Digger to take 4th place on the table, level on 12 points, but the former champions are ahead on goal difference.