Far Eastern University salvaged a crucial point after forcing a 1-1 draw against Ateneo de Manila University on Thursday night in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Football Tournament at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.
Substitute Selwyn Mamon delivered the equalizer in the 71st minute, calmly slotting the ball past Ateneo’s second-choice keeper Santi Pastor to bring the Tamaraws level. It was Mamon’s second goal of the season.
FEU goalkeeper Jet Fabrigas came up huge in the 80th minute, denying Dov Cariño’s close-range attempt that could have sealed the win for the Blue Eagles.
With the result, the Tamaraws climbed to eight points, good for a share of second place with a match in hand. The back-to-back title-seeking squad is tied with Ateneo and De La Salle University but holds the edge on goal difference — plus-3 compared to Ateneo’s and La Salle’s plus-2.
Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines remains firmly atop the table with 16 points, eight clear of its closest pursuers.
“The game was very intense. We all needed to step up for the team to climb higher in the standings,” said FEU head coach Jake Morallo.
“I think the team gave their best, but there were lapses in the second half. We were really aiming for a win, not just a draw.”
The Tamaraws will wrap up their first-round campaign against the De La Salle Green Booters at 4 p.m. on Sunday, still at the Diliman pitch.
Ateneo struck first in the 39th minute when Cariño calmly converted a penalty kick following a foul by FEU defender RJ Pescadera on Ghanaian striker Kofi Agyei inside the box. Cariño’s strike was his fourth of the tournament, trailing only Agyei’s league-leading five.
Ateneo rookie goalkeeper Polo Tansingco, a former Southridge standout, delivered an impressive showing before being subbed out in the 67th minute due to cramps, paving the way for Pastor to step in.
“In the first half, we really performed well,” said Ateneo head coach JP Merida.
“In the second half, things changed. We lost Paolo to cramps, but we can’t blame Santi — it was his first time facing FEU, and there were some miscommunications. Still, the boys fought hard.”
