PFL Rundown: Manila nips Ilocos to extend lead as Cebu, Makati held goalless

Curt Dizon (front) made sure that he did not waste the great pass made by Tahj Minniecon (back) as Meralco Manila nicked all three points from Ilocos United. (file)
By Kevin Estrada

MANILA -- Another weekend of PFL action has been wrapped up as Meralco Manila continued its tight hold at the top of the table with a close win as challengers Global Cebu and Kaya Makati failed to get the best of each other.

The Sparks, who lost skipper Simon Greatwich to a suspension, needed a late first-half goal by Curt Dizon to nick all three points from a game Ilocos United side with a nail-biting 1-0 win Sunday evening at the Rizal Memorial.

Dizon nailed his second consecutive go-ahead goal in as many matches after pouncing on a beautiful outswinging feed by Tahj Minniecon by firing in his lethal left-footed effort into the far post and past a stranded Baba Sampana in the first minute of time added on in the first half.

Manila's backline held firm in the second half to post their third win against the northerners.

With their fourth straight win, Manila extended their lead over Cebu and Makati by ten points after the latter pair only mustered a goalless stalemate last Saturday in a packed Abellana pitch.

Neither side found the net in a tight game but Ref Cuaresma's man-of-the-match performance in between the sticks netted him a clean sheet.

Follow him on Twitter: @KevinLEstrada