By Adrian Stewart Co

Midfielder Bienvenido Marañón scored a hat trick last Tuesday to power Ceres-Negros FC over defending V.League champions Becamex Binh Duong FC, 3-1, at the Go Đau Stadium in Thu Dau Mot, Vietnam.

Combined with their earlier 3-2 win over Myanmar National League club Shan United FC, the Bacolod City-based club currently sits atop Group G on six points.

The Negrense club was aggressive from the start, forcing Becamex goalkeeper Bui Tan to fend off several attempts. However, by the 26th minute, Marañón broke through and scored the first goal of the match. It wasn’t until the 72nd minute when midfielder Wander Luiz equalized for the Vietnamese side.

Two minutes later, Marañón put Ceres-Negros back in the lead. Then, in the 78th minute, the midfielder earned his hat trick.

Ceres next faces defending Liga 1 champions Persija Jakarta of Indonesia on April 3./ASC, WDJ