Young Lions vs Gombak United [0-4]

Four-midable Gombak rout Young Lions Fabius Chen info@sleague.com Gombak United drew level on points with defending champions SAFFC at the top of the Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League with a resounding 4-0 victory over the Young Lions at Jalan Besar Stadium. Two first-half penalties by league top-scorer Ojimi Gabriel Obatola came either side of an Agu Casmir strike to send the Bulls into the break with a comfortable 3-0 lead that the home side never looked like recovering from, despite a spirited second-half showing. The Young Lions, who have now lost four of their last five league matches, started out on the back foot but were dealing with the visitors’ attacks comfortably enough until the 24th minute. As a Gombak throw came in from the left, home side skipper Obadin Aikhena was penalised for a seemingly-innocuous push on Casmir as the two jostled for position in the Young Lions penalty box. Referee Zaid Hussein immediately pointed to the spot, in what Young Lions head coach Terry Pathmanathan felt was the defining moment of the match. “It didn’t deserve such a severe punishment,” he said after the final whistle. “That first penalty changed the game – the team just went down from there.” Obatola stepped up and coolly slotted the ball home, sending Young Lions goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud the wrong way. Things would go from bad to worse for the home side just two minutes later, as Obatola turned provider with an outrageous backheel that found Casmir in space in the box. The Singapore international found the back of the net with a confident finish past a diving Izwan to put his side firmly in the driver’s seat. There was no respite for the home side as a further three minutes on, Kingsley Njoku capitalised on a defensive mix-up between Afiq Yunos and Shahir Hamzah to win possession in the box and force the latter to bring him down. Once again, the referee awarded the penalty without hesitation, despite both defenders protesting that Njoku had dived. Obatola’s second spot-kick of the night was an exact carbon copy of his first, with the Nigerian forward placing the ball to the goalkeeper’s right and Izwan diving to his left. It was desperate times for the Young Lions and coach Pathmanathan was forced to bring midfielder Hariss Harun on for Fairoz Hasan with just half an hour of the match played. Gombak were on a roll, however, and very nearly added a fourth just before the break. Njoku was sent clear through but his shot from an angle sailed over Izwan’s goal. Whatever Pathmanathan said to his players at half-time seemed to work, as they came out for the second-half a transformed team. Just eight minutes after the restart, K. Sivaseshan made an enterprising run into the Gombak box, but his placed shot past Bulls goalkeeper Fadhil Salim rolled agonisingly past the post. Four minutes later, Sivaseshan rounded Fadhil and tapped the ball into an empty net, only to turn around and see the offside flag raised. The Young Lions went into the match as the league’s lowest scorers and it showed, as they failed to make the most of their chances in the second-half. A weak scuffed shot by Gabriel Quak Jun Yi left assistant coach V. Sundramoorthy an exasperated man up in the stands as the home side continued to dominate proceedings but find goals hard to come by. Even luck seemed to have deserted them. Sivaseshan’s shot on the turn left Fadhil stranded but came back off the foot of the post with 12 minutes to play. It was left to Njoku to show the home side how it’s done, embarking on a solo run and finishing emphatically past Izwan to put the icing on the cake for the visitors in the final minute. Bulls head coach Darren Stewart was understandably delighted with the result and waxed rhapsodic about his side’s showing. He commented: “It was a good all-round performance and I’m pleased with the boys. “We’ve been working on our work ethic since the start of the season but it’s something that gets overlooked in favour of attacking flair, which is always mentioned.” Stewart was reflecting on a particular incident that happened in the 80th minute, when defender Jeremy Chiang chased a clearance by his captain Sevki Sha’ban to prevent it going out for a throw-in. “The boys were desperate not to let the opposition pull a goal back,” he pointed out. He did, however, praise the Young Lions’ fighting spirit as they tried to recover in the second-half. “They really came into the game in the second-half and looked very dangerous. “We were lucky not to concede a goal,” he admitted. The Gombak coach also reserved special mention for Young Lions midfielder Hariss, who is back after a year on the sidelines with an injury. “He is an influential, quality player,” he stressed. Opposite number Pathmanathan agreed with Stewart’s assessment of his returning starlet. The ex-international said: “Hariss did well after coming on. I had planned to use him for only 30-40 minutes but our midfield was struggling.” Pathmanathan was also pleased with the way his team responded in the second period, despite their inability to pull a goal back. “We played much better in the second-half: we minimised our errors in defence and put pressure on our opponents,” he stated. “We have problems upfront, especially with Yang Mu out for the next five to six weeks but it is important for the players to go on working and preparing for the SEA Games.” Meanwhile, 18-year-old Hariss had no doubts about the work that has to be done before his side can improve. “It was a better performance in the second half but we can be better in the attacking third,” he said. “There’s definitely room for improvement.” The national team midfielder is still working his way back to full fitness after his lengthy lay-off and will look at this game as another step on his road to recovery. He pointed out: “I still have a psychological barrier to overcome and match fitness to rediscover.” His side will need him to achieve both goals sooner rather than later, if the words of their coach are anything to go by. When asked if Monday had been a tough day, Pathmanathan responded solemnly: “Every game is a tough day.”

Fazrul signs up for Gombak revolution

Tam Cheong Yan
info@sleague.com

Gombak United’s powerful attacking line has been given a further boost, after it was confirmed that they have signed striker Fazrul Nawaz.

The Singapore international, who is close to fully recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament tear, will be tied to the League Cup holders for the remainder of the year.

Fazrul had sustained the injury while playing for Geylang United in October last year, and had to miss out on Singapore’s AFF Suzuki Cup campaign last year as a result.

There was more bad news for the 24-year-old when contract negotiations with Geylang broke down in the off-season, but the frustration of being released by the club where he had started his professional career has now been replaced by relief at signing for Gombak.

Fazrul’s decision to sign comes more than two months after he had first trained with the Jurong West-based side, as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation programme done in collaboration with the national team’s fitness experts.

And as a gesture of the club’s commitment to helping him, his contract has been backdated to the day he had started doing his fitness work at Jurong West – an act that has earned the player’s respect.

“I’m really glad that I now have a club to help me start my season,” he told sleague.com.

“I thank the club, especially (chairman) John Yap and my coach Darren (Stewart), for helping me so much. This club has a record for coming in to help players when they are suffering, and I think that is good for the players.

“Due respect to Geylang, I felt it was sad that I could not get the same kind of help from them after everything I have given to the club. But I understand these things happen in football, and I’m glad other people were there for me.

“Gombak, together with Sengkang Punggol, were the first to offer to help me out, and I chose to come here because Darren is here. He was more than a coach to me when I was at Geylang, and I decided that I want to repay him for what he has done for me before.”

Fazrul also revealed that he had been wooed by other S.League clubs, which he did not identify, once it had become clear that his recovery had been going well.

By then, though, he was already impressed with Gombak’s surprise charge into the top three, and that had persuaded him to take up the challenge despite what was already a formidable array of attacking options at the club.

Apart from fellow Singapore striker Agu Casmir, the Bulls also enjoy the services of current league top-scorer Ojimi Gabriel Obatola, Kingsley Njoku and Emmanuel Emuejeraye as orthodox forwards.

Throw in Ruhaizad Ismail and Fazli Jaffar on the flanks, and the firepower Gombak have would frighten many people looking to make a comeback from injury.

But Fazrul, who has been a fixture in the Singapore squad since earning his first cap in 2005, was undaunted as he cast his sights on returning to action for club and country.

“When I started to recover, I had offers from some other clubs, including some big clubs,” he said.

“Of course, who wouldn’t think about playing for a big club? But then again, I have a debt of gratitude to Gombak I want to replay, and speaking to the players here, I can see that they feel good about doing well so far.

“I want to be part of this, and I am coming here not just to make up the numbers. I will fight for my place in this team; once I start to play, I will do whatever I can to help the team win the league.

“It will be a big challenge competing with so many good strikers, but first I want to focus on getting back to full fitness and getting my confidence back. It’s one step at a time for me, but I believe I can bounce back and fight for my place in the national team.”

The SEA Games bronze medallist’s decision to join Gombak has been greeted with enthusiasm by the players, including Nigerian striker Njoku.

The 22-year-old, who has scored three goals in eight appearances so far, was all smiles as he spoke of his new colleague, as he expressed confidence that all the strikers will see their fair share of action even with Fazrul’s introduction into the squad.

“All the players welcome Fazrul to the family,” said Njoku.

“I have played against him for the past two years now, and I think he is a very good player. He is strong, and he is fast, and he will be a big plus to the team now that he is with us.

“I used to confuse him for an African player, because he is as strong as we are. In fact, since we are so alike, the competition for playing places will be even bigger now.

“Everybody will have to buck up, but that is life. We cannot expect to play every game, and sometimes one of us will have to take a rest so that others who are fitter can play.”

Bulls coach Stewart too is looking forward to renewing his ties with the versatile Fazrul, who can play either at centre forward or out on the flanks.

Revealing that a date has yet to be set for the player to take his mandatory fitness test, known as the Beep Test, the Australian stressed that there are no plans on the club’s part to rush Fazrul into taking his test.

Stewart was nonetheless confident that things will eventually work out for both player and club.

“Fazrul’s trained with the club for a while, and for the future of the club, we thought he’s a tremendous asset,” he noted.

“He didn’t look in great shape at the start; honestly, he couldn’t walk when he first came to training! But he’s a real good lad, and he’s a lot stronger than when I first saw him back at Geylang.

“The club’s put a lot of faith in him and looked after him, and we don’t want to rush him back into action. He’s not bound by transfer regulations, so whenever he’s ready, he can register, but if the physio says he needs another month, we will wait for that extra month.

“It’ll be hard work keeping all the strikers happy when he’s ready to play, but that’s part of the job. He’s a natural goalscorer, and you can’t have enough of them!”

Young Lions vs Gombak United

Young Lions aim to snap losing streak Fabius Chen info@sleague.com Second-from-bottom Young Lions face an uphill task if they are to avoid a fourth successive defeat in all competitions when second-placed Gombak United visit Jalan Besar Stadium on Monday. Terry Pathmanathan’s young side produced dismal performances in losses to Cambodia’s Phnom Penh Crown in the RHB Singapore Cup and Super Reds, 0-5, in their last Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League home game. Their latest defeat came at the hands of Brunei DPMM in Bandar Seri Begawan, although the 1-0 scoreline flattered the visitors and was thanks to an inspired display by goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud. The 18-year-old stopper will need to produce a similar display on Monday if the Young Lions are to get a result against a Gombak side which is looking to bounce back after going down to Super Reds in only their second loss of the season. Bulls head coach Darren Stewart was keen to take the result in his stride, insisting that he was delighted with the way his side has performed thus far in the league. “Look at any league in the world and you won’t find a team that does not get beaten; what matters, is how you recover after a loss,” he pointed out. “You have no God-given right to think that you’ll never get beaten.” The Australian added: “For now, we’ve exceeded all expectations. “There’s still a long way to go in the season but at the moment, we’re doing very, very well.” With a full-strength squad at his disposal, Stewart will be looking to Ojimi Gabriel Obatola, Agu Casmir and Kingsley Njoku to provide the goals at Jalan Besar, with the three accounting for 20 of Gombak’s 23 goals so far this season. It is a good thing for the home side, then, that their influential captain Obadin Aikhena will be back in the squad to face his former club after missing the DPMM game through suspension. The big defender from Nigeria has by far been the Young Lions’ stand-out performer of 2009 and is their top-scorer with four goals, a statistic that more than anything underlines their struggles up front. Also back in the reckoning for the Young Lions is national team midfielder Hariss Harun, who has spent the past year on the sidelines with an ankle injury. He played the first half of the national Under-23 side’s 0-3 friendly loss to their Malaysian counterparts on Thursday and his captain was eagerly awaiting his return to league action. “It’ll be a big boost for the team,” Obadin said. “But after being out for so long, he’ll need some time to find his feet.” The sides’ first meeting of the season was settled by a late Njoku goal, a defeat that the Young Lions skipper was determined to avenge. He commented: “The last time we played against Gombak, we lost due to our inexperience. “They are a good side but they won’t find it easy against us. The experience factor was one that the Gombak boss touched on as well, as he emphatised with his opposition’s position. Stewart said: “They’re a very young team, so you can’t expect them to perform well in every game.” In spite of this, Obadin was optimistic that Monday would see an improved Young Lions performance. “We’re going to have a good game,” he said confidently.

Geylang United 0 SAFFC 3

Warriors sink Geylang to pull clear

Syahrom Sulaiman
info@sleague.com

SAFFC avenged their RHB Singapore Cup preliminary round exit at the hands of Geylang United when they defeated the Eagles 3-0 at Bedok Stadium in Sunday’s Great Eastern–YEO’S S.League game.

An early goal by Mustaqim Manzur and a brace from Aleksandar Duric was enough to see the Warriors steer three points clear of their second-placed rivals Gombak United in the standings.

For the Eagles though, they suffered their third league defeat on the trot.

Victory over the Warriors in the RHB Singapore Cup game on Labour Day seemed like a distant memory, but Eagles head coach Mike Wong wants to quickly correct the recent mistakes made by his side so that they can go on to their winning ways soon.

He said, “Their first goal came very early in the game and two more goals came from corners. To me, I felt that we could have done much better as a team to defend those situations.

“The players must understand that once the referee blows his whistle everyone must be alert to anticipate any type of situation. The same thing happened when we conceded the goals in our previous game against Albirex (Niigata FC(Singapore)).

“Once we conceded early against strong teams such as SAFFC it was going to be difficult after that. We had to change the game plan and nearing the end of the first half we managed to control the game but the second and third goals changed the complexion of the game,” Wong pointed out.

SAFFC were the quickest off the blocks to settle down.

Their incessant pressure paid off as early as the third minute when Mustaqim, receiving a long throw-in from right-back Hafiz Osman, took advantage of haphazard defending by the Eagles.

Thanks to Duric and Park Tae Won’s constant hassling, Mustaqim was not picked up by any defender and he coolly placed the ball past custodian Yazid Yasin within the six-yard area.

Missing the services of the suspended Baihakki Khaizan, the Eagles did not look steady at all at the back as the Warriors were constantly at their heels.

Winger Ahmad Latiff Khamarudin had a lot of joy on the right flank as he managed to go past Faizal Senin on numerous occasions to provide dangerous crosses to the middle.

However, the AFC Champions League exertions took its toll on the Warriors and the Eagles slowly took advantage of their opponents’ fatigue factor.

Rastislav Belicak and Noor Ali were at the heart of all the best moves the Eagles produced in the game.

One such move presented British striker Lloyd Butler the best chance to equalize for the Eagles.

In the 31st minute, Belicak passed the ball Noor Ali and the captain produced a peach of a cross to Butler in the middle.

Having escaped the attentions of defenders Kenji Arai and Razaleigh Khalik, Butler contrived to steer his header just over the crossbar from inside the six-yard area.

Such profligate finishing would only be punished by a top side like the Warriors and true enough, they doubled their advantage ten minutes after the interval.

The impressive Zulfadli Zainal Abidin, taking over left-back duties from Shaiful Esah who was rested for the game, produced a swerving corner kick which Yazid could not punch clear properly.

Duric imposed his 1.92-metre frame on the custodian and he was rewarded with the simplest of tap-ins after a lackadaisical effort by the Eagles’ defence to clear their lines properly.

The striker then put the icing on the cake twelve minutes from time when he overpowered defender Haruki Seto to reach substitute Syad Karim’s cross first and head the ball into goal.

Warriors head coach Richard Bok knew how important it was for his team to win the game against the Eagles.

He said, “It was definitely a hard-fought victory, especially when the match came after we travelled to Korea for the ACL (AFC Champions League) game.

“We settled down quickly but after a while Geylang United managed to have more possession of the ball. But we got the goals that we wanted and achieved our main objective – which was to come here and do a professional job so that we can get ahead from the rest of the teams in the league,” Bok commented.

Singapore youngsters succumb to Malaysians

Ong Jiing Yih
info@fas.org.sg

In the international friendly match played at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Thursday evening, the Singapore Under-23 team succumbed to their counterparts from from the north, the Malaysian Under-23 team, 0-3.

Goals from Norshahrul Idlan in the 20th minute, Mohd Zaquan Adha from the penalty spot on 24 minutes and the clincher from substitute Farderin Kadir after 67 minutes sealed the match for of the visitors.

Despite the introduction of Fadhil Noh, Fairoz Hasan and Goh Swee Swee at half time, Singapore was only able to create a few chances which subsequently weren’t able to take advantage off.

Much work is needed in terms of looking for strikers and getting existing ones to convert their chances, a point not lost on Terry Pathmanathan, head coach of the Young Lions.

“We have a big problem in terms of attacking and even getting strikers to the Young Lions team, as it's an uphill task to look for one with instinctive play,” mentioned the one-time Singapore skipper.

“If the frontmen don't do better than they are at the moment it's going to be a big problem. As such we have to put in effort as coaches, to brush up the strikers.”

Despite having gathered for only days before their one and only training session on Wednesday, the young Malaysians led by coach K. Rajagobal, had little difficulty adjusting to conditions.

However, it was the hosts who made the brighter start. The first 120 seconds were all Singapore - Hariss Harun's incisive play found Geylang United starlet Yasir Hanapi, whose cross was cleared from danger by Mohd Amirulhadi.

It had been Hariss' first piece of action in nearly a year after injuring his knee and perhaps inspired by his presence the boys went on to force two corners in as many minutes.

Safuwan Baharudin from the National Football Academy Under-18 team, nearly gave the Singaporeans the lead only to see his header cleare off the line by Shahurain Abu Samah.

Once the Malaysian allayed the early pressure it was their turn to knock the ball about with confidence, against the Singapore side led by captain Isa Halim.

It was a sign of things to come, after both Mohd Fandi and left back Mohd Asraruddin missed their attempts on goal, a scuffed header and a cross-shot respectively.

The Malaysians eventually took the lead on 20 minutes through Norshahrul who started the move that eventually saw him finish it off.

An incisive run from the right flank, and a one-two with strike partner Zaquan saw him surge into the Singaporeans penalty area where he sidestepped goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud before netting a classy finish.

Things then took a turn for the worse after Norshahrul headed a through ball to Zaquan in the 24th minute.

The unfortunate Izwan in his desperation to safeguard his goal brought down the opposing forward and left referee Sukhbir Singh with little option but to point to the spot.

Up stepped Zaquan who dusted himself, fixed his eyes on the ball and sent Izwan the wrong way from the spot.

Balls were often won and lost in midfield and that almost presented the visitors with another chance to strike on goal, but for Norshahrul to drive well wide of the target.

With two-nil down and still a lot to play for Pathmanathan went on to make three attacking changes in a bid to pep up his side's attack.

That nearly provided instant dividends, and after Safuwan headed straight into the grasp of Nohd Nasril Nordin's grasp, Fadhil could have done better when faced with the goalkeeper in a perfect one-on-one situation.

The Young Lions forward fluffed the opportunity in the 52nd minute after an accurate cross by club teammate Hamqaamal Shah.

Despite showing better movement in the second half, Singapore was unable to make any breakthrough.

The third goal eventually arrived in the 67th minute after failure to stem the incoming blue tide, courtesy of another lost ball in midfield.

Afiq Yunos was turned way too easily at the edge of the box by Razali, who then found space to shoot goalwards. Izwan in his moment to save succeeded in diverting the ball into the path of Farderin, who knocked in the rebound into goal off his shin.

Though the away side still had one last chance to add onto their score, Khyril Muhymeen's hissed shot perhaps spared substitute goalkeeper Jasper Chan another moment of ingonimy seven minutes from the end.

Post match, a delighted Malaysian Under-23 coach Rajagobal spoke about his preparations and targets coming into this encounter.

“I didn't field my first eleven. The players are tired, having played in durations of 90 minutes in Super League and Premier League matches before gathering here.

“My objective was to see the players who had just formed the team. As a selection process, this match is a good test to look into character, playing responsibilities and the players' approach towards the game.”

The experienced tactician then shared his thoughts on the victory as well as his hopes for the South East Asian Games.

“We began the match a bit sloppy in terms of passing, but adapted to the situation after some time.

“We created chances especially in the second half, and even if we're surprise at the scoreline we could have got more goals.

“Overall I'm happy we've won the match with the right attitude. Now we shall take one game at a time, until the SEA Games draw comes out.”

Meanwhile, Singapore Under-23 and Young Lions tactician Pathmanathan looked back to the match, at the same time pleased to take positives out of the game.

“The boys did alright defensively but once they failed to put on pressure it's bound to be thrown back at them.

“I'll accept the fact where it's the first time the boys played together; the game is basically to see what they can do. It hadn't been easy to put out a team and expect a lot without training, but the performances of Safuwan and Nazrul (Ahmad Nazari) were good.

“Overall I feel we didn't do too badly, and the players could do with more coaching and guidance.”