Ulaanbaatar: Three goals in a blistering first half laid the foundation for Ryomyong SC’s 3-0 win over Erchim FC in the 2019 AFC Cup East Zone Preliminary Stage first leg tie at the MFF Stadium on Wednesday.
DPR Korea side Ryomyong, who are making their debut appearance in the AFC Cup, made an ideal start to their qualifying campaign when they were awarded a penalty kick in the 12th minute which Kim Song-min converted to open the scoring.
Ri Hun duly doubled the Koreans' tally just seven minutes later, before Kim Kwang-jin added his name to the scoresheet on 42 minutes to hand Ryomyong a comfortable three-goal lead heading into half-time.
Ryomyong continued to dominate possession after the break, although - to their credit - Erchim tightened their defence to keep their opponents at bay.
However, Kwang-jin could have extended Ryomyong’s lead in the 63rd minute when slick approach play saw him enter the area and flick the ball over goalkeeper Ariunbold Batsaikhan before Erchim defenders cleared his goal-bound effort.
Erchim showed a degree of promise with their quick counter-attacks but the Mongolian outfit's forays were consistently countered by a resolute Ryomyong backline.
Shortly before full-time, substitute Chimezie Ngele Kalu had a golden opportunity to reduce Erchim’s deficit but the Nigerian forward shot straight into the arms of Ryomyong custodian Ri Chol-song.
Ryomyong will now look to make the most of their first leg victory when they host Erchim in the return fixture in Pyongyang on February 27.
Photos: Mongolian Football Federation
Source: the-afc.com