Hoang Vu Samson scored only seconds before the final whistle to gift Hanoi FC a 1-0 home win over Song Lam Nghe An in their Round 13 encounter at the national top-tier football tournament, the V-League 2017, last weekend.

Samson celebrates his solitary goal for Hanoi FC. 

Nghe An played a solid match during the entire 90 official minutes at Hang Day Stadium, with their defensive counterattack strategy working effectively, allowing them to neutralise all threats posed by host strikers Van Quyet and Samson.

Not only successful in defence, manager Nguyen Duc Thang’s side also created a number of concrete chances from counterattack situations.

Three minutes before the hour mark, Phi Son curled a cross to Henry, only to see the foreign forward miss a header in front of the empty net.

In stoppage time, Phi Son produced another excellent pass to Van Vinh and waited for the ball back in front of the empty goal, however, the veteran striker drove an off-target finish instead of passing the ball to his teammate in a more favourable position.

The wasted opportunities forced the guests to pay sharply. In the 95th minute, as it seemed to be a goalless draw for both sides, Samson managed to move past defenders and beat the Nghe An keeper from close range to secure a dramatic win for Hanoi FC.

With the narrow victory, Hanoi officially concluded their V-League first-leg campaign on a high note, reigning on top of the table with 23 points and one game in hand.

Nhan Dan