Moses Dyer netted an injury-time goal to give Phnom Penh Crown FC a hard-earned 2-1 win over Malaysia’s Kuching City FC in their AFC Champions League Two Group H opening tie on Thursday.
The striker, who opened the scoring for the Cambodian Premier League runners-up in the 55th minute, dashed the debutants’ hope in the dying minutes after Ajdin Mujagic had leveled in the 73rd minute.
Phnom Penh, making their third continental appearance, gradually edged possession and made their first move via Callum Timmins, whose attempt from outside the area in the 13th minute was turned away by Haziq Nadzli.
The midfielder tried again in the 20th minute through a 35-yard free-kick, but failed to add enough power to his effort, which bounced once and ended up safely in Haziq’s arms.
An unmarked Valerii Hryshyn then booted just wide of the left post while a determined dash into the area by Guytho Mijland in the 28th minute, in which he evaded two defenders, ended with the Kuching City keeper coming out to block his shot.
Phnom Penh custodian Um Vichet had his first touch of the ball in the 37th minute when he intercepted Petrus Shitembi’s lobbed cross before it could reach Dylan Halls, and closed the half by collecting Yuki Tanigawa’s off-balance effort from a difficult angle on the right.
Timmins again had the first look at goal in the second half when he collected a cross from Mijland on the left and forced Haziq into a diving save with a low drive in the 49th minute.
The Cambodian side’s pressing bore fruit in the 55th minute when Mijland made another unchecked run down the left and teed up Dyer, who snuck in from behind the defence to first-time his effort past the keeper.
Kuching City, however, clawed their way back into the game and leveled in the 73rd minute through Mujagic, who breezed unchallenged past the defence and fired with his left foot into the bottom right corner.
An unfazed Phnom Penh then struck back a minute into stoppage time through Dyer, who muscled his way above the defence to head in from close range to give the home side their first three points.
RESULTS: Shanghai Shenzua (Chn) bt Tampines Rovers (Sgp) 2-1; Phnom Penh Crown (Cam) bt Kuching City 2-1; Kitchee (Hkg) drew Gangwon (Kor) 0-0; Adelaide United bt Tai Po (Hkg) 3-0; Lion City Sailors (Sgp) drew BG Pathum United (Tha) 1-1; Machida Zelvia (Jpn) bt Preah Khan Reach Scay Rieng (Cam) 2-0;l
