Spanish standouts Bienvenido Marañon and Adrian Gallardo struck in each half as Ceres-La Salle blanked Kaya, 2-0, Sunday night to move on the brink of clinching the United Football League title at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Playing its third match in seven days, the Bacolod side got a huge lift from its Spanish recruits to hold off a Kaya side desperate to stay in the title hunt.
Marañon broke the deadlock six minutes before halftime, bundling home a low cross from Patrick Reichelt.
The highly physical clash saw 10 players get booked, including six from Kaya.
Gallardo jacked up his tally to 18 goals for the season, pouncing on a poor clearance to beat Nick O’ Donnel in the 58th minute. It was Manny Ott who created the chance, surging forward before floating in a cross that Kaya defender Masa Omura can only head to the path of Gallardo.
The win extended Ceres’ lead at the top to nine points with three more games remaining in its schedule.
Hamed Hajimahdi and Stephen Permanes scored in the second half as Pachanga increased its haul to 11 points.