Ceres ran riot on hapless Hanoi, goes top of Group G

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Bienvenido Marañón of Ceres displayed no mercy on attack, with a brace that smothered a listless Hanoi side to ashes. (file photo)
By Kevin Estrada


MANILA--Ceres Negros overtook a listless, 10-man Hanoi side to the top of Group G, and they did it in a merciless fashion, beating the Vietnamese side to the pulp in their return fixture Wednesday night in Bacolod's Panaad.


Knowing that a win in their final home match will keep their hopes of progression alive, the Busmen went straight at their top gear and put the visitors into an easy hit and run target, with their aggressive attacking put them to sleep with a 6-2 win and snagged the group lead on goal difference, tying their victims at 8 points.

The Spanish strike partnership of Bienvenido Marañón (13' pen., 90') and Fernando Rodríguez (53', 69') produce four goals between then, with each bagging a brace for Risto Vidakovic's men with Kevin Ingreso (21') and Jason De Jong (87') chipped in a goal apiece in a total team effort.

Hanoi had a rough night against a hostile 8,366-strong Panaad crowd, with Pham Thanh Luong's 25th minute free kick and Do Hung Dung's 86th minute penalty were quickly negated by their hotheadedness, as they end the match shorthanded as substitute Hoang Vu Samson saw red for his violent conduct, after headbutting Super Herrera and punching Kota Kawase in a commotion.

The rout, along with Tampines Rover's 3-1 win away at FELDA United, puts the group in a wide open race heading into the final matchday two weeks from now.

Follow him on Twitter: @KevinLEstrada