Protectors meet unbeaten Bulls

W.Ng
info@sleague.com

Buoyed by the victorious start to the AFC Cup campaign against Vietnamese champion Binh Duong on Tuesday night, Home United come up against similarly stiff opposition on Friday night, this time from a team a little closer to home.

The Protectors will meet league leaders Gombak United, one of just two sides with a 100% record in 2009 in the week’s televised match at Jalan Besar stadium.

Three wins out of three have seen the Bulls surge to the helm of the Great Eastern-YEO’s S.League, alongside defending league and cup champions SAFFC, and regardless of what the coaches might say, the top of the table is always a nice place to be, no matter how early in the season it is.

Bulls coach Darren Stewart, however, insists that his charges are keeping their heads down and not letting their lofty position in the league get to them.

“We’d rather be where we are than at the other end,” said the Australian with a laugh.

“But really, we haven’t spoken much about it, we’re just trying to focus on working tremendously hard.”

1-0 wins against a born-again Sengkang Punggol and 2008 runners-up Super Reds were followed up with a 3-0 thumping of Albirex Niigata FC (Singapore), but their perfect record is set to come under its greatest threat this year on Friday night.

In Home United, the Bulls are likely to come up against their most formidable opponents to date; the Protectors have not finished outside of the top four since 1999, twice winning the title along the way.

The 2003 champions, however, have already tasted defeat once in the league this season, albeit to SAFFC, and lie fifth in the table, but Stewart is under no illusions about how tight the match will be.

“Without a doubt, they will be our strongest test.

“They have a quality club and a quality coach, and for me, we will have to be at our absolute maximum, and hope that they’re not at their maximum. If we’re not, then I think we will be in a bit of bother.”

Gombak’s last match came a week ago against the White Swans, but Stewart played down suggestions that the advantage of having more rest will swing the tie in his side’s favour, pointing out that Home United’s numerical superiority will see them through.

“They have a big, strong squad, and very experienced players.

“But for us, we can’t rotate too many players – in the last game, we had only three S.League players on the bench.”

Thai midfielder Theerawesin Seehawong, who has yet to feature competitively for the Bulls this season, has been described by his coach as being out “indefinitely”.

“He’s gone to see a doctor today, and we should know more soon. But within the next month at least, I don’t for see him playing for us.”

The Bulls made sure that he was hardly missed in their last outing, with leading scorer Ojimi Gabriel Obatola in particular proving a revelation on the left wing.

And while the superlatives have been showered on Obatola and his fellow attackers in recent weeks, it is the quiet work of the Gombak defence that has helped their team preserve the distinction of being the only team that has yet to concede this season.

Last season’s third-place finishers will thus be looking to Kengne Ludovick to be on top of his game as they attempt to be the first side to breach the Gombak backline this season, while Home United coach will also be eager for new signings Itimi Dickson and Norikazu Murakami to open their accounts.

Murakami was ineligible for the match against Binh Duong, while Valery Hiek, who was suspended for the game, will also be available for selection.

Fullback Ismail Yunos, however, will miss out again through injury, and coach PN Sivaji is cognisant that he and his coaching staff will need to draw on their best man-management skills for the match despite having a near-complete squad to choose from.

“We have had only three days to recover.

“There will be a lot of tired limbs and minds out there, and our job is to make sure that the boys go out and put up a good performance.”

Sivaji also expressed that he had the utmost respect for Gombak and the impressive way with which they have begun the season, but that it would hardly prevent his side from going all out for a win.

“Gombak deserves all the respect and accolades they have got.

“Darren’s done tremendously well with the team. Him and (assistant coach) Shasi (Kumar) have both instilled a sense of confidence that was not seen in previous teams.

“Upfront they have got players who can finish the match, and they are a very good side with a good coaching set-up, and I’m sure they’re looking forward to a very good and successful season.

“They look the part and it will be a very tough game; more rest would put us in a better position to compete.

“But it is early days in the season, and we don’t want to lose touch with the leaders.”