UAAP: Aguilar propels La Salle past UST

MANILA — Lucas Aguilar continued his fine scoring form to power De La Salle University to a 1-0 win over University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 89 men’s football tournament, Thursday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.

Aguilar found the back of the net four minutes into the second half for his fifth goal of the season.

On the other end, La Salle goalkeeper Iñigo Castro stepped up to the challenge and denied every UST attack on his way to his fifth clean sheet of the season. 

With the win, La Salle tied UP with 17 points, though the Green Booters have a superior goal difference of plus-14 to the Fighting Maroons’ plus-five.

La Salle will look to build on its momentum when it faces archrival Ateneo de Manila University this Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at the same venue.

On the other hand, the result dealt a setback to UST, which was coming off a dominant victory over the University of the East in its previous outing, highlighted by Joshua Balliner’s first hat trick in the Seniors Division.

The Golden Booters struggled to find an equalizer throughout the second half as La Salle maintained firm control of possession.

UST had a last-ditch opportunity from a corner kick that could have spoiled La Salle’s victory, but the Golden Booters failed to capitalize.

UST, which remains fourth in the standings with 14 points, will return to action next Thursday after a week-long break.

The Golden Booters will open a triple-header at 2:00 p.m. against Ateneo at the same UP venue.