CERES-LA Salle hardly showed rust after a two-week break as it turned back Green Archers United, 2-1, to sustain its sizzling start in the United Football League that resumed on Tuesday night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Two second-half goals in a span of eight minutes from Azkals Manny Ott and Juani Guirado was all it took for the reigning Division 2 champions to remain the last unbeaten team in the tournament after six outings.
Ceres jumped a spot up to second with 18 points, behind Kaya FC only on goal difference with still a game on hand as the newly promoted side kept the Archers in sixth spot with eight points.
Ott, who scored the lone goal in the national team’s 2-1 loss to Bahrain in Manama last month, replicated his effort for his mother club as the Filipino-German midfield standout unlocked the Archers defense with a missile of a shot in the 70th minute.
Eight minutes later, Guirado doubled the lead with a header off a corner.
Kennedy Uzoka pulled a goal back for the Archers three minutes before stoppage time, but that proved too late.
It was a goalkeeping showcase early on as Ceres’ Michael Casas and Paolo Pascual of the Archers denied a handful of shots to force a scoreless first half.
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