Jovin Bedic’s Hat-trick Steers Kaya FC–Iloilo Past Stallion Laguna

Kaya FC–Iloilo 4-2 Stallion Laguna
Iloilo Sports Complex

July 4, 2018; Iloilo — Jovin Bedic played the hometown hero on Wednesday, as his hat-trick powered Kaya FC–Iloilo past Stallion Laguna in a 4-2 win in the Philippines Football League. The Barotac Nuevo-native dispatched a first half penalty, before striking twice in quick succession in the second to bring Iloilo its third straight victory in the league.

“Best feeling na maka-score ka ng hat-trick tapos sa home pitch pa. Yung suporta ng Ilonggos ibang klase talaga dito. Kaya kapag dito ang game, extra energy sa aming lahat na makapaglaro ng mabuti at manalo. Kaya every game, sinasabi ko sa kanila (teammates), ‘let’s defend our home pitch,’” said Kaya captain and Man of the Match, Jovin Bedic after the game.

(“It’s the best feeling to score a hat-trick, and on your home pitch as well. The support from the Ilonggos is something else here. That’s why when the game’s are held here, we all have that extra energy to play well and to win. So, every gam, I tell my teammates, ‘Let’s defend our home pitch,’” said Kaya captain and Man of the Match, Jovin Bedic after the the game.)

Although Bedic bagged the majority of the goals, it was Robert Lopez Mendy, who scored his own hat-trick at the Iloilo Sports Complex last week, that opened the scoring. 11 minutes into the game, the Senegalese striker latched on to Antonio Ugarte’s pass, cut inside his marker and unleashed a low strike that snuck past Laguna’s keeper. Lopez Mendy was then dragged down in the box just before the half-hour mark, earning a penalty for Iloilo. Bedic stepped up and cooly wrong-footed the goalie with a simple finish. The half finished with Kaya in command, and within three minutes of the restart, they took the game beyond reach.

From Chy Villaseñor’s long throw, Jovin shocked everyone with a stunning strike that smacked the underside of the crossbar and in. Almost immediately after, Lopez Mendy broke free on the right flank and teed up Bedic with a delightful ball, that Jovin clinically put away. Four goals up, Kaya looked to be cruising to the finish line. But Stallion had other plans. With 25 minutes remaining, Iloilo-native Jesus Melliza capped off a blistering counterattack to cut into the lead. Then two minutes later, Nathan Alquiros fired in from another Stallion breakaway, setting the stage for a potential comeback, which ultimately fell short.

“We’re glad that we got the result that we wanted. But it’s also was a wakeup call for us. We played good in the first half, but we need to manage consistency in the game, especially in the second half,” said head coach Noel Marcaida, who was disappointed his side failed to keep a clean sheet. “But a win’s a win. We take these three points, and we move forward. We have two big games coming up against the league leaders, and we’re really looking forward to those games,” he said.

In five games at the Iloilo Sports Complex, Kaya have scored 15 goals, with three of those matches involving a player scoring a hat-trick. Robert Lopez Mendy scored three on two occasions, with Jovin Bedic now the latest to achieve the feat. The team also remains unbeaten in Iloilo, with four wins and one draw.

“It’s a collective effort. Players score because of service from their teammates,” said Marcaida. “Having said that, those three goals from Jovin Bedic shows how he really wants to score more goals, and how he wants to show the Ilonggos what he’s capable of in a game.”

Kaya FC–Iloilo next face the stiff challenge of back-to-back matches at home against the league leaders, Ceres Negros. The first match takes place on Saturday (July 7), 4pm, with the next encounter taking place four days after, on Wednesday (July 11), at the same time.

“Thank you gid sa tanan na mga Ilonggos na nag kagto. Kahit 3pm yung game, may klase pa, ari kamo tanan. Especially sa mga Barotacnons na ari diri subong, dami gid salamat sa inyo. Sa Saturday liwat ginapangayo namon ang inyong suporta against Ceres Negros, diri gyapon sa Sports Complex,” said Bedic.

(“A big thank you to all the Ilonggos that came. Even if the game was at 3pm and there’s still school, you’re all here. Especially to the Barotacnons that are here today, many thanks to all of you. On Saturday, we’re hoping for your support again against Ceres Negros, here at the Sports Complex,” said Bedic.)