VietNamNet Bridge – Bottom-placed Ha Noi ACB secured a first V-League win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Dong Thap yesterday, March 13, at their Hang Day Stadium home.


HTML clipboard Celebrate: Ha Noi T&T players (white jersey) celebrate after scoring a goal against Dong Tam Long An during the sixth round of the V-League. Ha Noi T&T won 4-1. (Photo: VNS)
Lucas Cantoro scored twice, notching his first in the 37th minute and the other just ten minutes after the break, ending a points drought for the capital team who have remained rooted to the bottom of the league since the season began early this year.


However, the win left the team still bottom of the table, with a two-points gap between them and Dong Tam Long An.


Dong Thap proved toothless up front, leaving the southern team empty-handed away from home for the first time this season.


The defeat also meant they lost their second place in the division to Navibank Sai Gon who defeated central region-based Khatoco Khanh Hoa 2-1 yesterday, March 13.


Long An dropped to penultimate place after suffering a humiliating loss to defending champions Ha Noi T&T on Saturday in Ha Noi. The visitors came to the capital without their new coach Simon McMenemy who has not been available to work with the team despite signing a contract last week.


The victory for the champions helped T&T escape a nightmare three-defeat losing streak, allowing them to jump from 11th to eighth with nine points after six matches.


In the other matches yesterday, two-time champions Becamex Binh Duong defeated Thanh Hoa 4-3; Ninh Binh were held 1-1 by Hoa Phat Ha Noi, while Hoang Anh Gia Lai went home with a point from a 1-1 draw with Vicem Hai Phong.


Nghe An's victory


Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA) proved that they will always be a tough opponent for any team on home turf with a 1-0 victory over title contender SHB Da Nang in the early match of the round on Friday.


SLNA's first win in four matches helped the team, coached by former national defender Nguyen Huu Thang, climb to third place on the table. Meanwhile it was the second defeat for Da Nang, coached by former national striker Le Huynh Duc.


Thang and Duc are among local coaches that rumour has it they are suited to take over the reins of the national team after the unexpected resignation of Portuguese tactician Henrique Calisto last week.


Naturalised defender Nguyen Hoang Helio easily converted the penalty resulting from Eloh's foul on Kavin in the 40th minute to extend Thang's unbeaten run against Duc's team at Vinh stadium.


Only two minutes into the second half, the referee awarded a penalty to the visiting team when veteran defender Nguyen Huy Hoang fouled striker Gaston Merlo, but the Argentine's penalty kick found the post.


While Da Nang piled up the pressure in search of equaliser, the home team stood firm until the final whistle, managing to create a few chances of their own to double the score.


Da Nang will have to bounce back strongly to keep their eyes on the V-League title.


The V-League sixth round match was played two day early, on Friday, to enable SLNA play an AFC game against V.B of Maldives tomorrow, March 15.


VietNamNet/Viet Nam News