Canedo’s brilliant hat-trick catapults Pachanga over Air Force, 5-1

MANILA, Philippines — Pachanga Diliman FC leaned on four second half goals, including Robert Canedo's sensational six-minute hat-trick, as it brought down Air Force FC, 5-1, to climb up the First Division ladder in the United Football League at the McKinley Hill grounds in Taguig City Thursday night.

With the match knotted at one goal apiece after the first half, Alireza Jamali shattered it with a 56^th-minute rocket before Canedo came charging his way through by unleashing three quick goals spanning six minutes, delivering on the 87th, 90th and in injury time on the 93rd to seal it for Pachanga Diliman.

The emphatic triumph sent Pachanga Diliman from solo sixth spot to a share of fifth with a skidding Kaya FC, which was slowed down by a stunning 2-2 standoff with PSG FC in the only other Division One match, with nine match points apiece on three victories against four defeats.

And Pachanga Diliman did it with a 10-man crew after Marcus Philip Lopez was tossed out for incurring a red card on the 31st.

Oussenynou Diop opened it up for Pachanga Diliman with a 27th minute goal before Ian Araneta, a member of the Phl Azkals team pool, tied it three minutes later with a rocket of his own.

It turned out to be AirForce's last hurrah as Pachanga Diliman delivered a four-goal seige in the second half, including that killer of a hat-trick by Canedo.

The Airmen remained winless and at the cellar after seven consecutive setbacks.

Kaya, which was being bankrolled by LBC, had a chance to leap to joint fourth with Nomads FC with a win but blew a one-goal advanatage when Emmanuela Mbata delivered the equalizer on the 78th to complete a brace and eke out the shock draw.

It was also Mbata who gave the PSG booters a 1-0 lead after drilling in a goal on the 19th but Anton del Rosario and Nate Burkey responded with a pair of goals in a hurry on the 47th and 48th to give Kaya the upperhand.

Enter Mbata for that stinging goal.

Kaya absorbed its second defeat against two wins and three draws while PSG FC hiked its output to five points on a win and two draws against four losses.