AFC Cup 2014: Ninh Binh cruise into knock-out round

Coming into the match, Ninh Binh had won all three of their matches to top Group G with nine points, so coach Nguyen Van Sy and his players were motivated to win the game and book an early ticket into the next round.

With a superior squad and great support from their home fans, the hosts took the lead at Ninh Binh Stadium after only seven minutes when Voinea Petrisor finished with precision to score the opener for his team.

In the remaining minutes of the first half, Ninh Binh dominated the game but scored no more goals as Van Thang, Danh Ngoc, and Van Duyet missed chances to widen the gap.

From the beginning of the second half, Ninh Binh strengthened their attack, aiming to earn a safe two-goal lead.

It was not until the 50th minute that Anh Tuan slotted home from distance to beat goalkeeper Muhamad and double the score for Ninh Binh.

In the 77th minute, Van Quyen, who was making his first appearance in this year's AFC Cup season, provided an assist via a through pass to Le Van Thang; the midfielder did not miss the golden chance to widen the gap to 3-0.

Just five minutes later, Bryan netted another goal to make it 4-0. The victory meant that Nguyen Van Sy and his players advanced to the knock-out round, topping the table with four wins and 12 points in their first time participating in the AFC Cup.

A day earlier, Hanoi T&T received their first defeat in the 2014 AFC Cup, losing 1-3 to their Malaysian hosts Selangor.

This is an unfortunate defeat, as the Hanoi T&T players had recorded outstanding performances from the beginning of the tournament, with three wins from three matches played placing them atop F Group.

Coach Phan Thanh Hung was unable to field his strongest side as more than half of the team had diarrhea and fever before the game. After the match ended, more than half of the squad was hospitalised for emergency treatment.

Although they were defeated, Hanoi T&T remains in the top spot with nine points, followed by Arema Cronus with seven points and Selangor with five points.

(Source: Nhandan Newspaper Online)