Don Bosco-Garelli United made a huge statement in the 2024 PFL season as it knocked off Mendiola in a massive 4-2 upset to open the third week of action at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
Having been rooted to the bottom of the 15-team field after losing their opening two fixtures and letting nineteen goals past them, Joel Villarino’s Greywolves scored their maiden win in the top-flight in scorching heat in Adriatico, having been a mainstay in the lower level as part of the Weekend Futbol League.
And it’s not their ordinary victim that they had, for they had taken down the Bedan alumni club, who had been in the top flight since 2019, and even made the Copa semifinals in their maiden season.
Forward Jules Koumoin opened Garelli’s account in the top flight in the 21st minute, tapping home Jangobah Johnson’s short cross after the latter sped past Jacob Tanamor after a long ball from their own half.
The Ivorian then made it 2-0 in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, wherein former Lyceum standout James Dorego picked him out from the midfield, and Koumoin brushed aside Marvin Landines to slot the ball past Marc Pellejo on a low shot.
Koumoin then completed his hat-trick four minutes into the restart, as he nailed a carbon copy of his second strike, this time with Keivenne Banagodos threading the line-breaking through ball into the Mendiola backline.
Then in the 55th minute, the Ivorian turned provider for John Tirado, himself a DBTI-Makati alumnus (and later a magna cum laude graduate of Adamson), with the latter making sure his backheel dime did not go to waste as he fired in his left foot past Pellejo.
John Misagal then saw his dreams of a maiden clean sheet for Garelli dashed by two Mendiola goals, in which Djohn Pusing (77’) and Sylver Pormento (90+1’) found the back of the net that proved to be a mere consolation as the top-flight debutants leapfrogged four others after taking their first three points of the season.
Don Bosco Garelli: Misagal (GK), Tirado (Neo 71’), Johnson (Alovera 67’), Banagodos, Johnsberg Sancho (Neo 67’), Koumoin, Mahinay ©, Bullen (Suplito 52’), Fornis, Dorego, Obu
Mendiola: Pellejo (GK), Tanamor, Rena (See 46’), Abalos, Pormento, Hajimahdi ©, Rasonable (Mapula 46’), Ladines (Nebreja 73’, Edulan (Sison 25’), Nitta (Banaynal 57’), Pusing
