SAFFC vs Super Reds Report [1-0]

Below-par Warriors show lucky side

Tam Cheong Yan
info@sleague.com

SAFFC moved back into top spot in the Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League table on Friday evening, following a 1-0 victory over the Super Reds at Jalan Besar Stadium.

The win allowed them to overtake DPMM FC ahead of their showdown in Bandar Seri Begawan in nine days’ time.

It was a case of “better lucky than good” for the defending champions, though, as their performance lacked the fluency and confidence that have typically defined their game.

John Wilkinson’s second-half winner had an extremely fortuitous look to it, as a Super Reds defender’s clearance spun off the side of his torso without him knowing it and rolled just past the line.

Wilkinson was restored to the starting eleven for SAFFC after recovering from his rib fracture, and took his place in a five-man midfield as Ahmad Latiff Khamarudin was moved to the right flank.

Shin Dae Kyung meanwhile earned a recall to the Super Reds backline, after being used as a substitute in their 2-1 victory over Albirex Niigata FC (Singapore) last week.

SAFFC were coming into this match on the back of a win themselves, a 7-1 drubbing of Sengkang Punggol, but they were put under the cosh by Jeon Kyeong Joon’s side in the opening period.

Daniel Bennett had to be alert to cut off a Yu Hyun Koo lob into the box in the fifth minute with strikers lurking, and Masahiro Fukasawa shone as he dispossessed Choi Dong Soo on the quarter-hour mark after the latter had appeared set to face Shahril Jantan.

Aleksandar Duric did have a chance in-between those moments, as he recovered from a slow first step and beat Kim Shin Yui before blasting a shot into the side netting.

The Warriors captain had another chance on 18 minutes coming from a cleverly-taken quick free kick by Therdsak Chaiman, but even his powerful frame was not enough to force the ball past a scrambling Super Reds defence.

Shaiful Esah just missed the top corner with a left-footed free kick on 26 minutes as well, and the Super Reds threatened too when Jeon Byung Euk and Park Han Seok came close.

Despite the chances, though, both sides were struggling to get into anything resembling a proper rhythm, with misplaced passes aplenty and flow frequently interrupted.

SAFFC were dealt a blow on 33 minutes when Therdsak had to be taken off with an ankle injury, but they shuffled their midfield pack as Latiff moved inwards and Mustaqim Manzur replaced the Thai.

With or without Therdsak, though, the first half was plagued by a sapping lethargy as both teams stuttered, although the Koreans looked a touch better on the field as they showed good first bursts on the sprint.

They almost went ahead four minutes into the second half, when Park Kang Jin latched on to Jeon’s long lob into the box with an aerial chip off his right foot.

Shahril was off his line when Park made that cheeky attempt, but he was spared the blushes when the ball crashed back into play off the crossbar.

That moment stirred both teams into raising their game briefly, although Duric looked suspiciously offside when he received a long pass from Latiff and shot into Kang Su Ho’s legs on 55 minutes.

But that ember of life did not last long as both teams slid back into a surprising scrap, although SAFFC slowly got better as they did their best to suppress the fatigue from an intense start to their season.

On 66 minutes, Shaiful played a brilliant cross that narrowly eluded Duric at the near post, although Park Tae Won was guilty of not doing more to attack the ball at the far side.

The Warriors’ in-house Korean was heavily involved, however, when they took the lead 12 minutes later.

Hafiz Osman started the move with a long pass from inside his box, and Park and Duric exchanged quick passes before the former broke into the box and shot into Kang’s foot.

Park Chul Hyung, who was chasing his compatriot, then tried to hack the ball clear, but then the ball hit Wilkinson’s flank and slowly trickled its way towards goal.

Centreback Shin, realizing the danger, rushed back and slid in attempt to clear the ball, but the linesman ruled his effort too late as the SAFFC players celebrated wildly.

It was a cruel blow to the Koreans, whose football looked just a touch superior to what the Warriors managed to offer on the night, and they were desperate as the match entered its closing stages.

But they failed to trouble Shahril with a free kick two minutes from time, and then the goalkeeper did well to get a hand to Choi’s low cut-back before Kim Tae Young nodded the ball over the crossbar.

The midfielder appeared to have been hit in the back by Latiff as he made the jump, and Kim Yoon Sik furiously protested his case for a penalty all the way past the final whistle as SAFFC moved back to the top of the table.

The 25-year-old was shown his second yellow card of the evening for his troubles, rubbing salt into the Super Reds’ wounded souls.

For Wilkinson and the Warriors, though, three points from a freak goal were an unexpected – if very welcome – boost.

Shahril: It doesn’t matter how we score

SAFFC goalkeeper Shahril Jantan admitted that his team had Lady Luck on their side, after they had scraped past the Super Reds with a 1-0 win.

The match was settled by a freak goal on 78 minutes, when Park Chul Hyung’s clearance came off John Wilkinson as the latter attempted to charge the ball down.

But things could have gone differently had Super Reds striker Park Kang Jin’s chip not hit the crossbar early in the second half, and Shahril revealed it brought flashbacks of a goal in their 1-4 loss to AFC Champions League opponents Kashima Antlers.

“When that shot came, I was thinking of the Kashima game, when the ball went in off Daniel (Bennett),” he said after the match.

“Although there was no deflection this time, it almost went in the same way, but it hit the bar instead. I thought we were lucky.

“We needed some of that luck. We haven’t been getting much of that, but it was okay, it worked out today for us.”

Shahril also shared his thoughts on teammate Wilkinson’s unwitting diversion that clinched the match.

“I was confident our team would get a goal at least from this game,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter where it came from. R. Sasikumar scored with his shoulder-blade; today John scored with his rib, so anything is possible!”

Warriors coach Richard Bok was gracious in victory as he saluted the Super Reds for their technical competence, before stressing the significance of their result ahead of their rematch with Kashima and a top-of-the-table clash with second-placed DPMM FC.

“The Super Reds are a technically good team, and I guess they probably just missed the finishing,” he acknowledged.

“They’ve already shown us last year they are technically and tactically good, although last year’s team was more youthful than this year’s. This year, they have brought in a few experienced heads, and they look more measured and composed.

“I thought the first half was a bit scrappy from us. But then we worked hard, followed our plan and got our break in the second half.

“This win was important because it was an opportunity for us to pull clear from the chasing pack. And it’s a good thing for us to have ahead of our two trips next week.”