Great Eastern Yeo's S League - SINGAPORE

  

YOUNG TIGERS COME FROM BEHIND TO EXTEND UNBEATEN RUN

Written by: Nigel Chin

A turnaround in the second half from Harimau Muda saw them run out winners against Geylang International for the second time this year.

An own goal from Kento Fukuda late in the game proved to be the difference between both sides, after Syafwan Syahlan had cancelled out Jozef Kaplan’s 16th minute penalty.

The result meant that the Young Tigers leapfrogged the Eagles into seventh spot in the league table after earning their fourth win of the season.

It was Geylang who got off to a hot start, with Bruno Castanheira coming close to opening the scoring in the eight minute. His effort from Tatsuro Inui’s cross was not powerful enough though, and Harimau custodian Ilham Amirullah clawed it away.

Harimau Muda had their own chance a minute later when Syahrul Azwari slipped past Syed Thaha before squaring the ball for the unmarked Syafwan. The striker wasted the chance though, ballooning his shot from ten yards.

A moment of individual brilliance in the 15th minute from Hafiz Nor saw him skipping past Annas Rahmat before getting fouled by Azrul Nizam Muhammad inside the box. Up stepped Jozef Kaplan, who dispatched the penalty coolly for the opener.

Conceding the goal woke the Malaysian side up however, and they had three good opportunities to level things up. Yet, they failed to find the target on all three attempts.

The Eagles came close to extending their lead in the 26th minute through Yuki Ichikawa after he rose highest to meet Inui’s corner, but he was thwarted by Adam Nor’s goal-line clearance.

Anaz Hadee’s cheeky 40-yards attempt forced Ilham into a save four minutes later, before Hafiz Osman volleyed over from the resulting corner.

Geylang’s goalkeeper Yazid Yasin was called into a flying save from a long range half-volley towards the end of the first period, before Faizat Ghazali headed wide from Syafwan’s cross.

A determined run from Syahrul Azwari on the stroke of half-time saw the winger creating a chance out of nothing, but his effort was too weak to trouble Yazid in goal.

After the restart, the visitors continued to probe and almost scored in the 63rd minute through Adam Nor when he met Irfan Zakaria’s free-kick at point-blank range, but Yazid made a terrific save to deny him.

They finally got the equaliser they were searching for in the 74th minute, when Hafiz Osman deflected Arif Anwarl’s cross onto Syafwan, and the striker rolled the ball into the net with Yazid stranded to his spot.

Harimau Muda completed the comeback nine minutes later, after Kento Fukuda’s attempted clearance of Syahrul’s cross flew over Yazid into the net.

Geylang pushed men forward in search of an equaliser in a desperate attempt and it left spaces behind them which Harimau exploited.

Irfan Zakaria curled the ball wide, before a misplaced pass from Thaha saw Syafwan firing just inches wide with Yazid off his line.

Geylang’s misery was compounded in the final minute after Hafiz Osman was given his marching orders for an elbow on Annas, as Harimau Muda extended their unbeaten streak to five games.

Geylang International: Yazid Yasin (GK), Anaz Hadee (Zulkifli Suzliman 69’), Hafiz Osman (sent off 90+3’), Kento Fukuda, Syed Thaha, Yuki Ichikawa, Nor Azli (Mustaqim Manzur 87’), Hafiz Nor, Tatsuro Inui, Jozef Kaplan, Bruno Castanheira (Shawal Anuar 46’)

Harimau Muda: Ilham Amirullah (GK), Azrul Nizam Muhammad, Ashmawi Yakin, Syawal Nordin, Annas Rahmat, Irfan Zakaria (Kenny Pallraj 89’), Adam Nor, Shahrul Igwan (Arif Anwar 71’), Faizat Ghazali, Syahrul Azwari (Akhir Bahari 90+2’), Syafwan Syahlan.

ROSKAM EARNS THREE POINTS FOR STAGS WITH BRACE

Written By: Kenneth Ho

Tampines Rovers came away from the Hougang Stadium with three points in the bag after a 3-0 victory over Hougang United on Friday evening.

All three goals came in the second half, with Matteo Roskam netting a brace. 

The win leaves the Stags trailing league leaders Warriors FC by seven points, although they do have a game in hand.

The first half was an even affair for both teams, as they created ample chances to open the scoring.

Tampines came close in the 11th minute, when Roberto Alviz rocked the bar with a volley from the edge of the box.

Moments later, Mateo Roskam was unable to divert his effort towards the goal after Ridhuan Muhamad had set him up nicely.

However, the Cheetahs enjoyed a chance of their own in the 15th minute, as Rodrigo Pacheco had to tip away a fierce free-kick by Diego Gama.

Hougang goalkeeper Ridhuan Barudin was then forced into action five minutes later, as he got down low to catch Roskam's header.

Half-time eventually came with both teams heading into the level on level terms, as both sides were unable to convert their chances.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 66th minute, as Roskam dived onto Ridhuan's brilliant cross from the right to power in the opener.

Hougang immediately tried to counter back with Delwinder Singh attempting an ambitious shot from 40 yards but it went straight at Pacheco.

The Stags then doubled their advantage in the 72nd minute, after the referee spotted a handball by Delwinder in the box. Tampines captain Fahrudin Mustafic duly converted the resulting spot-kick.

The win was then secured 10 minutes from time, as Roskam clinched his brace by latching onto Alviz's pass before sending a fierce shot past Ridhuan.

Hougang's Atsushi Shimono tried to reduce the deficit in the 87th minute but his shot from distance did not trouble Pacheco as the Cheetahs fell to their seventh defeat of the season.

Hougang United: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Delwinder Singh, Kunihiro Yamashita, Atsushi Shimono, Carlos Delgado, Diego Gama (Fairoz Hasan 68'), Fazli Jaffar, Tengku Mushahdad, Nurhilmi Jasni (C) (Goh Swee Swee 82'), Yuki Uchiyama, Fareez Farhan (Lau Meng Meng 82')

Tampines Rovers: Rodrigo Pacheco (GK), Fahrudin Mustafic (C), Zulfadli Zainal, Ridhuan Muhamad (Ismadi Mukhtar 67'), Firdaus Idros, Mateo Roskam (Indra Sahdan), Isa Halim, Rodrigo Tosi, Pedrag Pocuca, Ismail Yunos (Jufri Taha 85'), Roberto Alviz