ILOILO CITY --- Moments after a 1-0 loss forced a do-or-die duel with Iloilo, Negros Occidental coach Norman Fegidero told his players to take their chances more rather than wait for perfect passes to set off their attack.

"You didn't gamble. You waited for the perfect pass," Fegidero said in his post-match talk after Game 2 yesterday morning.

His message got through to his players and three hours later, the Negrense booters finally played true to form in a sound 3-0 beating of 10-man Iloilo in the winner-take-all-match for the men's football title of the Western Visayas Private Schools Athletic Association Meet here.

Negros Occidental's incisive play in the late stages of the first half took the sting out of the Ilonggos, who were hoping to regain the title after three years. But the Negrenses had other plans. Iloilo was actually a man down when striker Michael Maniero scored the decisive goal to steal Game 2. But there was no Houdini act for Iloilo in Game 3 as goals from West Negros College standouts Mark Ferrer, Allan Auman and Jehram Calvo ensured that the title stays with Negros Occidental for the third straight year.

Calvo and Ferrer had actually gone into the series carrying a little emotional baggage, after both players had been partly responsible of blowing away West Negros' title bid in two tournaments --- the Regional Under-19 Championships and the National University Games.

Ferrer and Calvo missed penalty kicks in the finals of the U-19 and UniGames, respectively.

Ferrer, a player born and raised in Barotac, Nuevo Iloilo, who scored in Negros' 2-0 Game 1 triumph, came up big against his former teammates again, scoring the first goal with another well-placed strike from just outside the box in the 21st minute.

And Calvo latched on a brilliant pass from midfield, before rounding out the Iloilo keeper easily slot home on an empty net in the 36th minute.

Three minutes from halftime, Allan Auman put the outcome beyond doubt with a goal that best typified the hardwork the Negrense booters put in for the crucial match.

Auman already had his initial effort saved by the Iloilo keeper but he never gave up on the play, pouncing on the rebound and poking the ball into an empty net.

Negros should have gone 4-0 up at the stroke of halftime but Joel Ballo-Allo botched his penalty, after Siegfred Apurado was brought down inside the box.

Apurado was creating menace inside the Iloilo half and he almost padded the lead in injury time. After eluding his marker with a neat first touch, Apurado was given space but his left-footed shot was weak and easily gathered by the Iloilo keeper. *CPT

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