SINGAPORE — Home United will take a slender but precious lead into the return leg of their AFC Cup Asean Zonal final next week after seeing off Ceres-Negros FC 2-1 in the first leg on Wednesday (Aug 2) night.

Hariss Harun was the hero as his 84th-minute strike proved to be the difference at Jalan Besar Stadium, where the Filipino visitors were backed by a vocal fan contingent amongst the 3,024 crowd.

Aidil Sharin’s men will progress if they avoid a second-leg defeat on National Day in Bacolod City, though they will still have their work cut out against a Ceres side who are unbeaten in their last 18 home matches in all competitions, including their last four AFC Cup matches.

“In football, anything can happen,” Aidil said after the game. “Even if we had a 3-1 or 4-1 lead, it would not be easy for us especially against a team like Ceres on their homeground. 

“All I can say now is that I am very happy for the team, even at 1-1 the boys kept fighting as they knew it is not every day that they get to play in a final.”

Croatian marksman Stipe Plazibat, who cut a sombre figure despite the win, agreed: “2-1 is a tricky result and it’s going be extremely hard (in the second leg), we cannot celebrate yet and we have to prepare hard… this is just the ‘first half’ (of this final).”

Knowing the importance of a victory, the Protectors went at the visitors from the first whistle and were rewarded for their early pressure when Plazibat earned a penalty on 10 minutes.

Despite the Ceres players’ furious protests, referee Hiroyuki Kimura stood by his decision and Plazibat calmly dispatched the spot-kick to end a two-game duck and notch his 30th goal of the season.

It should have been 2-0 in the 22nd minute when Hariss headed Izzdin Shafiq’s corner back across goal, but Adam Swandi failed to provide the perfect ending by nodding the ball onto the bar from close range.

Emboldened by the reprieve, Risto Vidakovic’s charges turned the screws and started to control proceedings with some patient possession play in search of an equaliser.

It was the assistant referee who would earn the Ceres players’ ire next when he disallowed two goals – from Kevin Ingreso in the 29th minute and Fernando Rodriguez a mere four minutes later – for offside, though both calls appeared to be correct.

Plazibat then came close to doing what Adam could not when Khairul Nizam’s scuffed effort came his way, but the Croatian could not adjust his body in time to turn the ball into the gaping goal.

Home would rue the misses as Ceres deservedly got back on level terms with the last kick of the half. Captain Martin Steuble’s effort from 35 yards was a speculative one, but the ball took a wicked bounce and that was enough to deceive Hassan Sunny as he let it slip through his grasp.

The S.League side came out with guns blazing again at the restart and the woodwork came to Ceres’ rescue again on 56 minutes as Nizam’s header off Sirina Camara’s cross crashed back off the post.

Nizam was denied again in the 65th minute when he met Izzdin’s corner with a firm header, only for Roland Muller to tip the ball over.

At the other end, Hassan redeemed himself with a brilliant reflex stop to keep out Bienvenido Maranon’s point-blank header, which had taken a deflection off a defender.

But Home would eventually make the decisive breakthrough with six minutes of regulation time after a tactical switch to push centre-back Hariss into his natural midfield position paid off.

The Singapore vice-captain, making his debut appearance in the competition this season, met Faris Ramli’s free-kick and although his initial effort was saved, the rebound came back his way for him to lash into the open goal.

Muller had to deny Nizam in the final seconds as Home sought a third and Vidakovic admitted the margin of defeat was a positive he could take from the game.

“I think my team didn’t play well today,” the former Serbia international said. “It’s the first game in the last few months that we didn’t play as a team and I hope we will improve a lot for the next game.

“The score is okay, they (Home) deserved to win as they played with more intensity… (but) the one-goal difference means it’s still open.”

*The second leg of the AFC Cup Asean Zonal final between Ceres-Negros FC and Home United will be played on August 9 at the Panaad Park and Stadium in the Philippines.