Football

HÀ NỘI — Quảng Ninh Coal lost to Home United of Singapore in Group H’s third round of the AFC Cup 2017 at Mỹ Đình National Stadium on Wednesday.

Croatian marksman Stipe Plazibat scored four goals to help the visitors defeat the hosts.

The victory takes Home United to the top of the group after three matches, with two wins and one defeat. Quảng Ninh, meanwhile, are on the verge of an exit from the event, with two losses and one draw.

Just 15 minutes after the referee blew the whistle, Singapore took the lead with two goals by Khairul Nizam and Plazibat.

With the support of fans on home turf, Quảng Ninh played an attacking game continuously and leveled the score 2-2 before the first half closed, thanks to Bùi Văn Hiếu, who scored in the 44^th minute, and Juma’at Jantan of Home United, who shot the ball into his own goal in the 36^th minute.

The hosts dominated the start of the second half. They were unlucky to see a goal ruled out for being offside, before Home United retook the lead four minutes after the one-hour mark.

Plazibat played a neat one-two with Faris Ramli, before curling a beautiful strike past the outstretched left hand of Quảng Ninh custodian Huỳnh Tuấn Linh.

The protectors made it 4-2 in the 69th minute, with Plazibat completing his hat-trick by sweeping home a slide-rule pass from Ramli from just inside the box.

Vũ Minh Tuấn made every effort by narrowing the gap to 3-4 for Quảng Ninh in the 78^th minute. However, any hopes or earn points in this match were dashed for Quảng Ninh when Plazibat scored another goal in the 86^th minute to raise the score to 5-3 for the visitors.

In extra time, Nghiêm Xuân Tú scored a goal to help Quảng Ninh finish the game 4-5.

Quảng Ninh will meet Yadanarbon in the last match on May 2 in Myanmar. — VNS