Hanoi: Công An Hà Nội FC needed a late winner to secure a well-earned 1-0 victory over DH Cebu FC in Group A of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ at Hanoi’s Hang Day Stadium on Wednesday as defender Jason Quang-Vinh Pendant struck for last season’s runners-up.
Mano Pölking’s side dominated throughout but had to wait until the 89th minute for French-born defender Pendant to find the back of the net and earn the home side all three points.
The win is the V.League 1 leaders’ first in the competition after suffering a late 2-1 loss to BG Pathum United FC on Matchday 1 last month.
Công An Hà Nội, who went undefeated through the group stage last season, struggled to take the ascendancy in a largely cagey opening 45 minutes in the Vietnamese capital.
The best chance of the opening half fell to Rogerio Alves on 42 minutes after DH Cebu defender Kamil Amirul miss-controlled in midfield to set up the Brazilian, but as the forward streamed towards goal he was unable to find the target with his one-on-one effort.
The home side thought they had been gifted the chance to break the deadlock on the stroke of half time when referee Ryo Tanimoto pointed to the spot for a handball by Anderson Pinto, but a VAR review saw the decision overturned and it remained scoreless at the break.
The DH Cebu goal continued to live a charmed life in the second half.
Hugo Gomes’ header at the back post on 55 minutes looped just over the bar, before Rami Jeridi then produced a pair of superb saves to deny the home side, keeping out Alan’s point-blank effort on the hour mark
Three minutes later, Jeridi denied Nguyễn Đình Bắc after the half-time substitute got on the end of Vitão’s excellent cut back.
Cebu had a glorious chance of their own to snatch the lead just two minutes later, but Roberto Corsame turned his effort wide of the mark on 65 minutes, and eventually the weight of chances tolled as Công An Hà Nội ran out winners through Pendant’s late strike.
Shopee Star of the Match - Jason Quang-Vinh Pendant (#7) Công An Hà Nội FC
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