Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Singapore: A late goal from Spanish defender Manuel Herrera earned Ceres Negros a deserved 1-1 draw against a 10-man Home United in their 2018 AFC Cup Group F clash at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday.
The visitors had the best of the early running and were gifted a chance to take an early lead when Sirina Camara scythed down Patrick Reichelt in the box in just the ninth minute, with the referee having no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
But Ceres Negros’ joy soon turned to despair when Bienvenido Maranon’s resulting spot-kick thundered back off the post.
They were made to pay for that early miss when the referee awarded Home United a penalty of their own just over 10 minutes later, which Shahril Ishak had no trouble dispatching to give the Singaporean side a 1-0 lead.
The match turned again early in the second half when Camara once again caught Reichelt late with a tackle, earning his second yellow card to reduce Aidil Sharin’s side to 10 men for the final 40 minutes.
Risto Vidakovic’s men quickly started to make the most of their numerical advantage as the home side dropped numbers deep looking to protect their slender lead, and they made their advantage count when Herrera headed home from a corner with 10 minutes to go to earn a point and keep their unbeaten start to the campaign.
Ceres Negros now return home to face Myanmar's Shan United on Matchday Three next Tuesday, while Home United travel to Phnom Penh to face Cambodia’s Boeung Ket FC.