Geylang United vs Sengkang Punggol [2-0]

Eagles celebrate Latiak’s first strike

Ong Jiing Yih
info@sleague.com

Miroslav Latiak scored his first goal of the season to inspire Geylang United to a 2-0 win over Sengkang Punggol at Bedok Stadium on Thursday evening.

The Slovakian scored the opener for the Eagles with a clinical finish on 66 minutes, before skipper Noor Ali ensured all three points went to the hosts with the killer second goal seven minutes from time.

It was their first win in the league since 16 April, when they had beaten Woodlands Wellington 2-0 to cap off a three-match winning run that had lifted the Eagles up the mid-table pack where they now stand.

But coach Mike Wong did not hesitate to admit afterwards that the win – their first in five league matches – concealed a below-par performance from his side.

“We did not play well to be honest,” he told sleague.com.

“As much as our central midfield failed to chase down enough second balls, both teams tried their best but none could really come up with the final product.

“I am pleased we got two goals in the end. But we were too cautious in the first half.

“Having lost three games before this, the boys became mentally worried, worried that it might turn out to be the same story had they conceded another goal. Only after they had kept things tight in the first half did we attack down the flanks more often in the second.”

Geylang definitely had an uneasy start against a Sengkang side that featured Mamadou Diallo in attack, while Azhar Baksin was handed only his second start for the Dolphins.

The veteran winger created the first serious chance of the match after just four minutes, playing a testing cross that Hiroyuki Yamamoto managed to get his head to but could not steer towards the Geylang goal.

But the promising start flattered to deceive as both sides proceeded to cancel each other out, to the frustration of the 1,682 fans who had turned up for this encounter.

Sengkang were the more willing side in the first half, and they nearly had the lead on 22 minutes when Azhar crashed a shot into the side-netting, having done the hard part of recovering an overhit cross by Murphy Wiredu.

The Eagles responded through their captain, who sent a goalbound free kick that drew the best out of Dolphins goalkeeper Joey Sim as he flew across to pull off a great save.

Jorg Steinebrunner, concerned that Geylang were getting back into the game, urged his players to press forward.

Jerry Bartholomeusz took the hint as he swept up the right flank, but his initial cross was pushed out by former Woodlands teammate Yazid Yasin, and the goalkeeper showed quick recovery skills to deny the unmarked Wiredu on the follow-up.

The Dolphins carried their momentum into the second half, leftback Zahid Ahmad finding Indra Sahdan Daud with a cross to the far post that the national skipper could only head straight into Yazid’s grasp.

Geylang were consistently on the back foot as their midfield struggled, Rastislav Belicak often looking alone as he had his hands full against Abdoulaye Diallo and former Eagles stalwart Noh Rahman.

Had Steinebrunner’s men made better use of that, they could have had a firm grip on proceedings. As it was, though, it was the home side who surprised everyone by pulling ahead on 66 minutes.

Latiak was the main man in the move, buying a yard off Aide Iskandar before beating Hiroyuki Yamamoto and finding the right spot to drill his low shot into the Sengkang net.

It was only the first goal this year from the Slovakian, who had managed seven last season for the Eagles, but it could not have come at a better time as they celebrated his strike.

The goal could have counted for nothing, though, as Geylang remained vulnerable in defence.

Baihakki Khaizan almost gave the victory away seven minutes from the end when he let national colleague Indra in on goal, but the former Home United star, armed with time and space to focus his shot, ended up hooking it wide.

Sensing the danger his team was in, Noor Ali stepped in to score the clincher within 60 seconds when they were awarded a free kick for a Yamamoto foul on substitute Ang Zhi Wei.

Syed Thaha, returning to the starting eleven from suspension, whipped in the free kick, and it was promptly met by the wide man, who had recently turned 34.

Yet the action was not quite finished without some kind of altercation, and unsurprisingly it was Bartholomeusz who got himself in the thick of the contretemps.

Oddly enough, though, his involvement drew a response from the normally-placid Yazid, who somehow took exception to what was going on and stormed all the way off his line to confront his former teammate at Woodlands.

Only the fine work of referee Abas Daud ensured things were broken up in orderly fashion, yet by then Steinebrunner was already chewing over an outcome he felt his team did not deserve.

“We were the better team,” opined the German as he cut a frustrated look.

“Even as the game seemed a little more even in the second half, Geylang did not create until after they had scored the first one. As the away team, we looked the more active and appeared more likely to score.

“Eventually it was about the slack marking in our penalty area. No one would have complained if the game finished 0-0, but in football, if you don’t score, you don’t win.”