Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Yangon: Edison Fonseca’s second goal of the tie completed an Ayeyawady United comeback and qualified them for the AFC Cup Round of 16 for the first time as they beat Lao FC 4-3 at Yangon’s Youth Training Centre in Group H on Matchday Five.
An early Fonseca goal in the ninth minute set the tone for an attacking game with both sides chasing the win before a Phatthana Syvilay penalty drew the teams level just ahead of the half hour mark. An impressive free-kick from Maitee Hatsady in the 42nd minute saw Lao FC take a 2-1 lead into the second half.
The sending off of Ayeyawady’s Chit San Maung in the 67th minute unsettled the dynamic of the game and two minutes later Lao conceded a penalty for Riste Naumov to level the scores at two goals apiece.
Kazou Homma wrestled back the advantage for the visitors in the 74th minute in the topsy-turvy tie, before Naumov and Fonseca brought the game home for Ayeyawady within the final 10 minutes.
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“We started very well but what happened in the rest of the first-half we will speak about in training,” said Ayeyawady coach Marjan Sekulovski, whose side will now face Indonesian champions Persib Bandung in a fortnight’s time to decide the winner of Group H.
“We only conceded goals from our mistakes, we will analyse these and look to improve our future performances.
“However I am very happy, once again our side showed team spirit, the next match will mean something but we must wait and see what it is.”
It didn’t take long for the deadlock to be broken when a pass from Naumov on the edge of the box found an unmarked Fonseca free to finish past Vanthana Keodouangdeth.
Lao drew level after a clattering of players in a crowded box saw the side awarded a penalty that was comfortably slotted to the goalkeeper’s left by Phatthana.
Lao had already demonstrated their danger from free-kicks when a sweetly struck Maitee dead-ball from thirty-yards out dipped under the crossbar to see the visitors head back into the tunnel with the lead.
Ayeyawady came out in the second half looking to find their way back into the game but initially struggled to find their way through the Lao defence.
A clumsy challenge in the Lao half saw Chit San Maung dismissed and Ayeyawady lost their left back to a red card for the second time in as many AFC Cup games.
Almost immediately Ayeyawady attacked down the right and a Moukda Souksavath trip gave away a penalty allowing Naumov, leading goalscorer of the competition, to step up to the spot and take his tally to five.
Five minutes later the game swung again when the extra-man playing down Lao’s right paid dividends as Homma beat defender Anderson West to his right before playing the ball across Vanlal Hruai to take back the lead.
Naumov continued to be a threat, though, and in the 80th minute a ball passed through the defence found the Macedonian who finished emphatically.
Fonseca then collected his brace by latching onto a long ball forward that he volleyed with instinct to win the match and qualification for Ayeyawady.
“We should have won,” said Lao FC coach David Booth.
“When you score three away from home and still lose, it is not a good match.”
“A soft penalty and players not marking their man, our team were missing a discipline and desire today.”