Cañedo catches fire as Pachanga grounds Air Force, 5-1

MANILA, Philippines – Pachanga-Diliman broke loose in the second half to run away with a 5-1 rout of cellar-dweller Phil. Air Force on Thursday night in the United Football League action at the McKinley Hill in Taguig City.

Robert Cañedo completed what could be the quickest hat trick in the UFL history in just six minutes to pace the second division champion last season.

Cañedo’s explosion came at a time when the Airmen were threatening to salvage a draw. After Air Force almost equalized in the 78^th minute on a botched Rey Palmes’ one-on-one play, Cañedo started to take over blasting home his first goal in in the 87^th minute to give Pachanga a 3-1 cushion.  

The crafty midfielder added two more in the 90^th and 93^rd minute to seal Pachanga’s win that snapped a three-match losing streak.

Ousseynou Diop and Ian Araneta traded goals in the first half that ended in a 1-1 stalemate. Alizera Jamali broke the deadlock 16 minutes past the halftime break before Cañedo caught fire. 

The win pushed Pachanga to sixth spot with nine points on 3-0-4 win-draw-loss card, trailing Kaya on goal difference, while the once dominant Air Force remained at the cellar after absorbing its seventh straight setback in as many matches.

In the nightcap, PSG leaned on Emmanuel Mbata’s brace to salvage a 2-2 draw with resurgent Kaya.

Kaya came back from a one-goal deficit to lead 2-1 early in the second half on Nate Burkey’s superb one-on-one play in the 48^th minute.

But Mbata, who hit the game’s opening goal in the 19^th minute, scored the equalizer 12 minutes before full time as both squads scrambled for the go-ahead goal in the endgame that never came.

Kaya started to gain ground when Anton del Rosario nailed his first goal of the season just before the halftime break.  But Kaya’s efforts to get the full three points went down the drain when Mbata scored the equalizer late in the match.

Kaya (2-3-2) remained at fourth with nine points while PSG (1-2-4) improved to seventh with its fifth point of the season.