RHB Singapore Cup: Ex-stars eliminate Balestier
Gerald Lee
info@sleague.com
Balestier Khalsa were eliminated from the RHB Singapore Cup in the preliminary round on Thursday evening, as two of their former servants returned to Toa Payoh Stadium to do the business for Home United in a straightforward 3-0 victory.
Norikazu Murakami and Kengne Ludovick struck either side of Shahril Ishak’s first competitive goal this season to seal the result inside the first half.
The Tigers started the game without Chilean midfielder Julio Eduardo and American defender Seth Galloway. both of whom were out due to injury. prompting coach Nasaruddin Jalil to hand Prime League team captain Raihan Abdul Rashid his first start of the season in the heart of defence.
On the other team sheet, influential midfielder Shi Jiayi was rested, while Isa Halim and Peres de Oliveira were left out due to suspension and injury respectively, giving Thai winger Naruphol Ar-Romsawa a spot in the starting eleven.
For much of the first half, the Protectors dominated proceedings, with Tengku Mushadad pulling the strings in the engine room.
The 24-year-old’s accurate passing and tireless running proved too much for the Tigers to handle, and they fell behind merely ten minutes into the game.
Tengku’s cross found Japanese hitman Murakami unmarked at the far post, and the latter controlled the ball superbly and fired home on his second touch past a hapless Abdul Rasyid Hamid.
Barely five minutes later, the same loose marking cost the Tigers twice as dearly. Their failure to deal with a Rosman Sulaiman corner saw Shahril step up to the loose ball and blast a screamer into the back of the net from just outside the penalty box.
Jolted by the shock of conceding two early goals, Balestier managed to get their act together somewhat, creating some decent chances for themselves. One of them saw midfielder Anantha Rajan measure a long-ranged effort that sent Lionel Lewis stretching acrobatically to tip the ball over the bar.
However, Home continued to dominate, with Itimi Dickson and Naruphol causing the Balestier defence plenty of trouble on the flanks.
Their persistence paid off in fortuitous fashion in the 38th minute, when a through ball over the top of the Tigers’ defence found the Thai winger, who looked to be miles offside. The linesman’s decision to keep his flag down surprised even the player himself, who turned to check before pulling back a smart pass into the path of the advancing Ludovick.
The latter needed no urging as he took a first-time shot that ended up, for the third time in the game, in the back of the Tigers’ net.
After the break, both teams were having a serious go at each other’s goal. It took just five minutes for Balestier to register their first chance of the second half, as defender K. Sathiaraj ventured into the offensive third and unleashed a firm shot that was well dealt with by the safe hands of Lewis.
In immediate response to this was Itimi Dickson’s long shot at the other end, which Rasyid could only parry. The rebound found Cameroonian striker Ludovick, who disappointingly headed over the crossbar.
To their credit though, the Tigers did look a stronger side in the second period, playing with more bite and urgency than they did before the break. Their relentless chasing made the Protectors’ defence look vulnerable at times, as the latter repeatedly found themselves dispossessed in their own half.
Australian striker Bryan Soane got several chances to claw a goal back at least, coming close in the 70th minute off a low drive that curled agonisingly wide of goal.
To his disappointment, their efforts proved futile, as the final chance of the game fell to the Protectors.
Having already gotten his name on the scoresheet, Murakami was hungry for more as he galloped down the left flank, beating Sofiyan Abdul Hamid to bear down clean on goal.
The defender’s subsequent last-ditch slide found the striker’s legs instead of the ball, leaving referee Sukhbir Singh with no choice but to brandish a straight red card for the infringement.
The ensuing penalty saw substitute Fadzuhasny Juraimi hit a weak shot that was saved by a thankful Rasyid.
“We defended very poorly in the first half,” lamented a frustrated Nasaruddin after the final whistle.
“We gave them too much time and space on the ball. Many of us were guilty of individual, fundamental errors too, which did not help at all.
“My players didn’t play to instructions; some of them perhaps due to inexperience.”
He continued, “All in all, we gave them too much respect and made it way too easy for Home United.”
Protectors coach Sivaji, on the other hand, had very different opinions.
“It was a good win for us tonight,” he said, “especially since goals scoring has been a nagging problem for us this season. So to win here so convincingly is a good sign.
“We had spells of good possession, and took our chances really well. Balestier seemed to change their 5-3-2 formation to a traditional 4-4-2 in the second half, and that caused our defence some problems.
“Nori was collecting the ball too deep, which left us with thinner attacking options. But given the absence of Peres and Shi Jiayi, I think we did well.”
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