by Kevin Estrada
QUEZON CITY -- La Salle slayed UST in a one-sided affair, 4-0 to cap off their UAAP 78 Football eliminations earlier in the evening at the Moro Lorenzo field.
Senior forward and captain Gelo Diamante fired a first half brace to lead the Green Booters in the rout of the Espana counterparts to end their regular season in second with 29 points after fourteen matches.
Jhoguev Ybanez and substitute Yoshiharu Koizumi was on target in the scoresheet for Hans-Peter Smit, as Paeng De Guzman and reliever Kerby Almonte combined for a clean sheet as they will face their nemesis Ateneo in the Final Four for the second season in a row.
With their postseason berth confirmed after FEU lost to UP, Marjo Allado's men were keen to settle matters against the Taft booters as their first meeting ended in a stalemate, as he rested Ronald Batisla-ong for the Final Four.
But Diamante had other plans, as he drew first blood in the fifteenth minute with volley to the left post with his first touch that grounded UST netminder Zaldy Abraham.
The Green Archers United stalwart completed his brace 23 minutes later, as he pounced on a Javier Romero-Salas cross from the right wing to double their advantage
Ybanez then tripled the advantage at the hour mark, as headed home a cross from Jed Diamante after the elder Diamante had his muffed shot went almost in if not for the goalkeeping of Abraham earlier.
Then the substitute Koizumi finished off the wounded Tigers with a low shot from inside the box.
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