Loyola electrocutes GAU

KC Cruz/UFL

By Kevin Estrada

MANILA--Loyola delivered a masterful performance against Green Archers and pulled off a 4-2 victory in their UFL Cup match at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.

Jinggoy Valmayor, James Younghusband, Jake Morallo and Tahj Minniecon all found the net for the Sparks to leapfrog past Archers to second in Group B on goal difference for their second consecutive victory.

Gary Epesso and Jhan-Jhan Melliza scored consolatory strikes for GAU who moved down a notch to third in their group.

Loyola drew first blood in just seven minutes through the former UP stalwart, who scored on a turn through an Alvaro Castiella feed that went past Kim Versales.

The Sparks doubled their advantage thirteen minutes later, when the elder Younghusband fired from close range.

But two minutes after Loyola scored, the Congolese marksman pulled one back for GAU, poking the ball on an onrushing Mitter and went past Gui Hasegawa from 12 yards

To make the match interesting,both clubs were way off the mark thanks to the stellar goalkeeping displays by Hasegawa and Versales in the last 23 minutes to end the with the Sparks holding a slim 2-1 edge.

Second half started with the same way the first half ended, with Hasegawa stopping three attempts by Melliza, Tating Pasilan and Jimuel Ariola in the first fifteen minutes.

Loyola put the match out of the Archers' reach with 20 minutes left on the clock, as the former Wanderer fires a cross that deceptively went straight into the net.

Just two minutes passed, the 2013 Cup champion kept its relentless offense as the club made it 4-1 as Morallo struck off a pass from Valmayor.

GAU got a consolation four minutes from time as Melliza scored off floating cross of fellow FEU alumnus Ronnie Aguisanda.

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