Taken from: kallangroar
Geylang had a wonderful day at Bedok, having beat defending champions out of the race for the cup.
Geylang had their usual green shirt on, SAFFC with a combination of blue and black for their kit.
Geylang found their first in the twenty-eighth minute when Yasir Hanapi put the ball into the net, sending the green fans into a total uproar.
That was it, Geylang United FC 1-0 SAFFC
The warriors thought it will be one-nil till the end but when Syed Thaha got the better of Hafiz Osman and slid it into the empty net, the defending champion team had lost hope of getting back into the race.
And it was, SAFFC down two goals to Geylang.
Armed Forces thought the were up again when Geylang conceded a penalty. Baihakki Khaizan was also booked for arguing with the referee over the penalty. The warriors had to hang their heads when Geylang's custodian Yazid Yasin pushed Thersdak Chaiman's penalty attempt away.
Johnathan Xu was the comedian of the game after he stuck out his foot and the corner flag broke. The latter tried to place it back but failed. Eventually, national team defender Baihakki Khaizan put it back into its initial position.
SAFFC then really woke up when Noor Ali's free kick attempt hit the crossbar and was dragged away.
SAFFC were then rewarded for their hardwork through Thersdak Chaiman's cheeky slithering ball in at the dying minutes.
Singapore Armed Forces FC 1-2 Geylang United FC
That was the final score, and Geylang fans celebrated till the exit of Bedok Stadium, while the Warrior's cheerleaders lowered their heads and escaped away from Bedok Stadium, where their fan team was eliminated out of the Singapore Cup in just the first round.
Dont miss the national team U-23 boys, known as Young Lions, facing Woodlands Wellington next Friday. If you are a couch potato turn on that heaty televison of yours at 7.25 P.M., Channel 5.
Friday, May 1, 2009
RHB Singapore Cup: Albirex Niigata(S) vs Gombak United
RHB Singapore Cup:White Swans look to 12th man
Syahrom Sulaiman
info@sleague.com
RHB Singapore Cup preliminary round match number five will be an all-Jurong affair as Albirex Niigata FC (Singapore) host Gombak United at the Jurong East Stadium on Saturday.
Both sides were knocked out at this stage of the competition last season courtesy of Thai opposition – the Japanese side was defeated by Bangkok University while the Bulls were undone by a resolute Thailand Tobacco Monopoly side, now known as TTM Samut Sakhon.
This time around, both teams are confident that they can at least progress to the quarter-final stage of the premier knockout competition.
The White Swans’ team manager Bogdan Brasoveanu is not too worried about how well his opponents are faring in the league at the moment.
He said, “Albirex Niigata (FC (Singapore)) is a young and enthusiastic team and the players are not afraid to meet any S.League team.
“Gombak (United) is a good team and we have to respect the quality of the players that they have in their side.
“Nevertheless, our objective is very simple – it is to win every game. With the support of the home crowd, I am confident that we will do well in the game,” Brasoveanu commented.
Home crowd support is a big factor in this game for the White Swans. They have collected a total of ten points out of a possible fifteen at the Jurong East Stadium, one of which was gained in the impressive 2-2 draw against Brunei DPMM.
Brasoveanu pointed out, “In the game against DPMM, we led twice but they (DPMM) came back against us to get a draw in the end.
“We are capable of playing good football and as long as the players show 100% fighting spirit, concentration and commitment on the field, the result will come naturally,” he said.
The White Swans will have a lot to learn from their previous encounter against the Bulls. An OJ Obatola-inspired Gombak United side defeated the White Swans 3-0 in March’s S.League game.
Bulls’ boss Darrent Stewart is confident that his side can do well in this season’s competition but he is also aware of the possible pitfalls surrounding a knockout cup fixture.
Stewart commented, “I agree with Nasa’s (Nasaruddin Jalil – Balestier Khalsa Head Coach) comment the other day. It’s (RHB Singapore Cup game) different from a normal type of league game.
“It’s a knockout game - one loss and that’s it for you. Nevertheless, our preparations are not different from any other game.
“We do have penalty-shooting practices today and tomorrow but other than that, there are not many changes to our training preparations,” he said.
With both sides at full strength and fully rested, the players are ready to do battle and provide an attacking spectacle this Saturday.
Stewart states his side’s objective, “We just want to do well in any competition that we go into. I am definitely looking forward to the game.”
Syahrom Sulaiman
info@sleague.com
RHB Singapore Cup preliminary round match number five will be an all-Jurong affair as Albirex Niigata FC (Singapore) host Gombak United at the Jurong East Stadium on Saturday.
Both sides were knocked out at this stage of the competition last season courtesy of Thai opposition – the Japanese side was defeated by Bangkok University while the Bulls were undone by a resolute Thailand Tobacco Monopoly side, now known as TTM Samut Sakhon.
This time around, both teams are confident that they can at least progress to the quarter-final stage of the premier knockout competition.
The White Swans’ team manager Bogdan Brasoveanu is not too worried about how well his opponents are faring in the league at the moment.
He said, “Albirex Niigata (FC (Singapore)) is a young and enthusiastic team and the players are not afraid to meet any S.League team.
“Gombak (United) is a good team and we have to respect the quality of the players that they have in their side.
“Nevertheless, our objective is very simple – it is to win every game. With the support of the home crowd, I am confident that we will do well in the game,” Brasoveanu commented.
Home crowd support is a big factor in this game for the White Swans. They have collected a total of ten points out of a possible fifteen at the Jurong East Stadium, one of which was gained in the impressive 2-2 draw against Brunei DPMM.
Brasoveanu pointed out, “In the game against DPMM, we led twice but they (DPMM) came back against us to get a draw in the end.
“We are capable of playing good football and as long as the players show 100% fighting spirit, concentration and commitment on the field, the result will come naturally,” he said.
The White Swans will have a lot to learn from their previous encounter against the Bulls. An OJ Obatola-inspired Gombak United side defeated the White Swans 3-0 in March’s S.League game.
Bulls’ boss Darrent Stewart is confident that his side can do well in this season’s competition but he is also aware of the possible pitfalls surrounding a knockout cup fixture.
Stewart commented, “I agree with Nasa’s (Nasaruddin Jalil – Balestier Khalsa Head Coach) comment the other day. It’s (RHB Singapore Cup game) different from a normal type of league game.
“It’s a knockout game - one loss and that’s it for you. Nevertheless, our preparations are not different from any other game.
“We do have penalty-shooting practices today and tomorrow but other than that, there are not many changes to our training preparations,” he said.
With both sides at full strength and fully rested, the players are ready to do battle and provide an attacking spectacle this Saturday.
Stewart states his side’s objective, “We just want to do well in any competition that we go into. I am definitely looking forward to the game.”
Match Statistics for Match 4 - Geylang United FC vs Singapore Armed Forces FC
Match Statistics for Match 4 - Geylang United FC vs Singapore Armed Forces FC
SINGAPORE CUP
01 May 09, 1930hrs, Bedok Stadium
| SCORING SUMMARY (Full-Time Score) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Geylang United FC | Singapore Armed Forces FC | ||
| Yasir Hanapi (29') | Therdsak Chaiman (90') | ||
| Syed Thaha (62') | |||
| Geylang United FC | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Pos |
| 19 | Yazid Yasin | GK |
| 5 | Walid Lounis | DF |
| 6 | Baihakki Khaizan | DF |
| 8 | Haruki Seto | DF |
| 3 | Rastislav Belicak | MF |
| 11 | Syed Thaha | MF |
| 16 | G Lenan | MF |
| 20 | Noor Ali (C) | MF |
| 47 | Yasir Hanapi | MF |
| 9 | Miroslav Latiak | FW |
| 14 | Farhan Farook | FW |
| Geylang United FC Substitutes | ||
| 1 | Fajar Sarib | GK |
| 2 | Faizal Senin | DF |
| 13 | Jonathan Xu | DF |
| 4 | Kamarulariffin Karim | MF |
| 15 | Shah Hirul | MF |
| 18 | Ashrin Shariff | FW |
| 41 | Lloyd Butler | FW |
| Singapore Armed Forces FC | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Pos |
| 14 | Shahril Jantan | GK |
| 2 | Shaiful Esah | DF |
| 3 | Kenji Arai | DF |
| 4 | Hafiz Osman | DF |
| 16 | Daniel Bennett | DF |
| 6 | Masahiro Fukasawa | MF |
| 7 | Ahmad Latiff | MF |
| 8 | Therdsak Chaiman | MF |
| 18 | Park Tae Won | MF |
| 19 | Mustaqim Manzur | MF |
| 9 | Aleksandar Duric (C) | FW |
| Singapore Armed Forces FC Substitutes | ||
| 1 | Toh Guo' An | GK |
| 13 | Razaleigh Khalik | DF |
| 41 | Zulfadli Zainal Abidin | DF |
| 20 | Syed Karim | MF |
| 12 | Guntur Bin Djafril | FW |
| Geylang United FC Substitutions | ||
| Faizal Senin for Yasir Hanapi (59') | ||
| Jonathan Xu for G Lenan (71') | ||
| Lloyd Butler for Farhan Farook (86') |
| Singapore Armed Forces FC Substitutions | ||
| Zulfadli Zainal Abidin for Hafiz Osman (74') | ||
| Geylang United FC Yellow Cards | ||
| Name | Min | |
| Baihakki Khaizan | 64 | |
| Geylang United FC Red Cards | ||
| Name | Min | |
| Noor Ali | 77 | |
| Geylang United FC Coach | ||
| Mike Wong Mun Heng | ||
| Singapore Armed Forces FC Yellow Cards | ||
| Name | Min | |
| Mustaqim Manzur | 35 | |
| Singapore Armed Forces FC Red Cards | ||
| Name | Min | |
| None | ||
| Singapore Armed Forces FC Coach | ||
| Richard Bok | ||
| Match Officials | |
|---|---|
| Referee | P Pandian |
| Asst Referee 1 | Edwin Tan |
| Asst Referee 2 | Er Swee Ann |
| Fourth Official | Zaid Bin Hussein |
| Match Commissioner | Said Nasir |
| Match Attendance | 2,048 |
Warriors “still up there” despite early setbacks
Tam Cheong Yan
info@sleague.com
Reigning S.League champions SAFFC may have lost the first round of their head-to-head battle with shock upstarts DPMM FC, but it would be foolish to read too much into that result with the season far from over.
That was the message sent by their coach Richard Bok, who pointed to his team’s current second-place standing in the league as it takes a one-week break for the preliminary round of the RHB Singapore Cup.
The Warriors were ousted from top spot after a 1-2 loss to the Bruneian outfit in Bandar Seri Begawan on Sunday, capping off a week of negative results for the team.
They had earlier been given a 5-0 hiding by J-League champions Kashima Antlers in an AFC Champions League meeting in Japan.
That game in Ibaraki, which was held on Wednesday, proved too exhausting for many of the SAFFC players, and it showed as they performed below their best against DPMM.
But speaking in an exclusive interview with sleague.com, Bok insisted that the club had no regrets over their emphasis on the continental campaign, which had resulted in a very congested fixture schedule for the most successful side in S.League history.
“Are we surprised to lose to DPMM and place second? Yes and no,” he noted.
“Yes, we lost, but I think that’s coming after we had to fly to Japan to play in the Champions League, come back and immediately fly out again to Brunei. If you’re going to tell me the travelling doesn’t have an effect on the players, something is wrong!
“It takes a lot of energy and effort for the boys to play in the ACL, and after every game, some of the players tell me they cannot walk anymore. In fact, because we participate in so many games, most of my training sessions have been about recovery and not tactics.
“We’ve not performed well in the league as a result, we’ve been inconsistent back home, but it’s a matter of give and take. Hopefully, once we’ve completed our part in the ACL, we can get more time to focus back on the league and the Singapore Cup.”
Indeed, SAFFC’s participation in the AFC Champions League has proven a taxing affair on the overall, and they have lost some of their aura of invincibility as a consequence.
The loss on Sunday was already their third in their first ten league games, having dropped points earlier against Woodlands Wellington and Gombak United.
Despite those setbacks, though, the Choa Chu Kang-based outfit remain second in the league and in firm contention for their fourth consecutive title, which Bok regarded as a pleasant surprise.
Noting that other major contenders have also dropped points early on, he was confident his team can make a greater impact with a second-half charge.
“If you look at the big picture, hey, we are still up there,” he said with a relaxed smile.
“That is the positive thing – we are still there after ten games, with the three losses we’ve had. In past years, if you lose three games, you’d be further down the table, not second or third.
“Of course, we would love to be way ahead, but it did not happen. Once it did not happen, we must stay as close in front as possible, and if you look now, we are just one point below DPMM.
“Anything can happen, so we just have to get back our belief and go full blast for the second half of the season. It’s still early, so it’s not important where we are now, as long as we are close; we’ll see where we are at the end of the year.”
Interestingly, the defeat in Brunei is not the first time SAFFC had dropped a ‘big’ game at this point of the season.
In 2007, they had lost 0-2 to archrivals Home United in Week 10 in a televised match at Jalan Besar Stadium. Last year it was the Super Reds who trumped Bok’s side, Yun Bo Young scoring late on in the Week 9 fixture to edge a five-goal thriller at Yishun.
Both teams proceeded to run the Warriors close before finishing second in the respective seasons, and despite their indifferent starts to the current campaign, they are still considered by Bok as among his team’s toughest challengers.
The 39-year-old has in fact singled the Koreans out for attention, noting that Jeon Kyeong Joon’s side may not be far from storming their way back into title contention.
“Last year’s 2-3 loss against Super Reds was a very exciting game, one of the best games ever in the league,” remarked Bok.
“Even now, don’t think that Super Reds are out of the running! They are a good side, and they will give a lot of teams a lot of problems.
“Everybody still has lots of respect for the Super Reds team, and I think they have been a bit unlucky with their finishing. They have good build-up, and if they can finish, they’ll be the team at the top of the table again.
“Like them, DPMM have charged to the top this year, but the way these two teams play their football is very contrasting. One is based on very good movement and passing, and the other is a ‘Route One’ team that likes to play the ball forward quickly.”
Moving on to the team currently holding pole position, Bok admitted that he was not sure whether DPMM look like the real deal to Singaporean fans despite the media hype.
While he acknowledged that Vjeran Simunic’s boys have done surprisingly well so far, he dropped a hint that things may not keep on running this smoothly for the newcomers.
“Brunei is not remembered for their football, and they’re on top of us right now, so you have to ask ‘Hey, what’s wrong?’” he said.
“I don’t know what it is about them that’s caught us by surprise. There’s nothing fancy about their play; I guess they’re new, so they have great desire to make an impact, being newcomers and all.
“They are hardworking, they are hungry, there’s no doubt about that. But to say they play like Barcelona, like what their coach claimed after the game on Sunday – well, I don’t know if that’s what he thinks, really!
“But DPMM still have to play us twice in Singapore, and we’ve got a lot of good teams here who are in with a shout. So we’ll have to wait and see.”
info@sleague.com
Reigning S.League champions SAFFC may have lost the first round of their head-to-head battle with shock upstarts DPMM FC, but it would be foolish to read too much into that result with the season far from over.
That was the message sent by their coach Richard Bok, who pointed to his team’s current second-place standing in the league as it takes a one-week break for the preliminary round of the RHB Singapore Cup.
The Warriors were ousted from top spot after a 1-2 loss to the Bruneian outfit in Bandar Seri Begawan on Sunday, capping off a week of negative results for the team.
They had earlier been given a 5-0 hiding by J-League champions Kashima Antlers in an AFC Champions League meeting in Japan.
That game in Ibaraki, which was held on Wednesday, proved too exhausting for many of the SAFFC players, and it showed as they performed below their best against DPMM.
But speaking in an exclusive interview with sleague.com, Bok insisted that the club had no regrets over their emphasis on the continental campaign, which had resulted in a very congested fixture schedule for the most successful side in S.League history.
“Are we surprised to lose to DPMM and place second? Yes and no,” he noted.
“Yes, we lost, but I think that’s coming after we had to fly to Japan to play in the Champions League, come back and immediately fly out again to Brunei. If you’re going to tell me the travelling doesn’t have an effect on the players, something is wrong!
“It takes a lot of energy and effort for the boys to play in the ACL, and after every game, some of the players tell me they cannot walk anymore. In fact, because we participate in so many games, most of my training sessions have been about recovery and not tactics.
“We’ve not performed well in the league as a result, we’ve been inconsistent back home, but it’s a matter of give and take. Hopefully, once we’ve completed our part in the ACL, we can get more time to focus back on the league and the Singapore Cup.”
Indeed, SAFFC’s participation in the AFC Champions League has proven a taxing affair on the overall, and they have lost some of their aura of invincibility as a consequence.
The loss on Sunday was already their third in their first ten league games, having dropped points earlier against Woodlands Wellington and Gombak United.
Despite those setbacks, though, the Choa Chu Kang-based outfit remain second in the league and in firm contention for their fourth consecutive title, which Bok regarded as a pleasant surprise.
Noting that other major contenders have also dropped points early on, he was confident his team can make a greater impact with a second-half charge.
“If you look at the big picture, hey, we are still up there,” he said with a relaxed smile.
“That is the positive thing – we are still there after ten games, with the three losses we’ve had. In past years, if you lose three games, you’d be further down the table, not second or third.
“Of course, we would love to be way ahead, but it did not happen. Once it did not happen, we must stay as close in front as possible, and if you look now, we are just one point below DPMM.
“Anything can happen, so we just have to get back our belief and go full blast for the second half of the season. It’s still early, so it’s not important where we are now, as long as we are close; we’ll see where we are at the end of the year.”
Interestingly, the defeat in Brunei is not the first time SAFFC had dropped a ‘big’ game at this point of the season.
In 2007, they had lost 0-2 to archrivals Home United in Week 10 in a televised match at Jalan Besar Stadium. Last year it was the Super Reds who trumped Bok’s side, Yun Bo Young scoring late on in the Week 9 fixture to edge a five-goal thriller at Yishun.
Both teams proceeded to run the Warriors close before finishing second in the respective seasons, and despite their indifferent starts to the current campaign, they are still considered by Bok as among his team’s toughest challengers.
The 39-year-old has in fact singled the Koreans out for attention, noting that Jeon Kyeong Joon’s side may not be far from storming their way back into title contention.
“Last year’s 2-3 loss against Super Reds was a very exciting game, one of the best games ever in the league,” remarked Bok.
“Even now, don’t think that Super Reds are out of the running! They are a good side, and they will give a lot of teams a lot of problems.
“Everybody still has lots of respect for the Super Reds team, and I think they have been a bit unlucky with their finishing. They have good build-up, and if they can finish, they’ll be the team at the top of the table again.
“Like them, DPMM have charged to the top this year, but the way these two teams play their football is very contrasting. One is based on very good movement and passing, and the other is a ‘Route One’ team that likes to play the ball forward quickly.”
Moving on to the team currently holding pole position, Bok admitted that he was not sure whether DPMM look like the real deal to Singaporean fans despite the media hype.
While he acknowledged that Vjeran Simunic’s boys have done surprisingly well so far, he dropped a hint that things may not keep on running this smoothly for the newcomers.
“Brunei is not remembered for their football, and they’re on top of us right now, so you have to ask ‘Hey, what’s wrong?’” he said.
“I don’t know what it is about them that’s caught us by surprise. There’s nothing fancy about their play; I guess they’re new, so they have great desire to make an impact, being newcomers and all.
“They are hardworking, they are hungry, there’s no doubt about that. But to say they play like Barcelona, like what their coach claimed after the game on Sunday – well, I don’t know if that’s what he thinks, really!
“But DPMM still have to play us twice in Singapore, and we’ve got a lot of good teams here who are in with a shout. So we’ll have to wait and see.”
RHB Singapore Cup: Baletier Khalsa vs Home United Report [3-0]
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.”
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.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
