STAGS BLOW TITLE RACE WIDE OPEN
Written by Dwayne James
Ten-man Tampines Rovers FC blew the Great Eastern-Yeo’s S.League title race wide open after edging leaders Brunei DPMM 1-0 on Wednesday evening.
Naeem Rahimi netted the only goal of the game in the second half to give the Stags maximum points at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.
Despite the defeat, DPMM remain at the top of the standings on 46 points with three games remaining while Tampines, who are six points back and have two games in hand, leapfrogged Balestier Khalsa FC into second spot on goal difference.
The hosts got off to a strong start and could have broken the deadlock in the second minute but Maududi Hilmi Kasmi watched his free-kick from outside the box sailed just wide.
DPMM came forward again in the eighth minute and Joe Gamble found space from 20 yards out but his effort was off the mark.
The next minute, Maududi struck one from the same distance but Tampines goalkeeper Rodrigo Pacheco dived down for the save.
The Brunei side came close again and should have taken the lead in the 13th minute. Aminuddin Zakwan Tahir made a good run down the middle to set up Azwan Ali Rahman, who failed to put it on target.
Three minutes later, Pacheco produced another save to stop a powerful header by Boris Raspudic inside the box.
The visitors finally settled down in the game and got a chance in the 24th minute.
Shaiful Esah sent his free-kick from the edge of the box into the wall but skipper Fahrudin Mustafic could not hit the target from the rebound.
Ismadi Mukhtar attempted one from 25 yards out five minutes later, but it was straight into DPMM custodian Wardun Yussof’s arms, the same Shaiful did with a free-kick from 40 yards out later.
A good diagonal ball by Fabian Kwok in the 56th minute was headed by Rodrigo Tosi but it was once again off target.
The second half was littered with fouls and was played at a slow pace, until the visitors were gifted a goal in the 75th minute.
Substitute Ridhuan Muhamad broke down the right and sent a cross into the box, which was poorly cleared by Raspudic onto the path for Naeem.
The midfielder needed to further invitation to blast the ball past Wardun to give Tampines a crucial goal.
DPMM were given a lifeline seven minutes later after Naeem was sent off for a second bookable offence.
The hosts pushed forward and should have equalised in the 88th minute.
Rafael Ramazotti headed down for Joe Gamble to volley from inside the box but Pacheco produced an acrobatic save.
The Brazilian goalkeeper came to rescue of the Stags again minutes later having to dive down low to keep out a free-kick by Rosmin Kamis that was headed for the bottom corner.
There was drama late on with both sides coming together after Noh Alam Shah fouled Azwan Ali, but it did not stop the Stags from becoming only the second team to claim three points in Brunei this season.
HONOURS EVEN IN CAUSEWAY DERBY
Written By: Kenneth Ho
Courts Young Lions and Harimau Muda both played out a 1-1 draw on Tuesday evening at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Irfan Fandi was his side's saviour as he came off the bench to score a late equaliser for the Young Lions.
However, the draw left the Singapore Under-23 side three points adrift of seventh-placed Harimau, with only three games left.
Harimau enjoyed a flying start to the game and found themselves ahead after just a minute of play.
From a long throw in, the Young Lions failed to clear their lines and the ball fell nicely for Syahrul Azwari, who lashed a superb first-time effort into goal from 18 yards out.
Despite the early setback, the Young Lions immediately regrouped and began to dictate play.
They were also helped by a Harimau side which seemed more keen in defending its slender lead rather than going forward for a second goal.
Taufik Suparno had an opportunity to peg the visitors back in the 10th minute after he cut in from the right flank and made his way towards goal but his shot flashed past the post.
Undeterred, the hosts plugged away and could have been rewarded for their endeavour had it not been for an alert Ilham Amirullah, who scrambled off his line on several occasions to clear dangerous through balls.
After the break, it seemed Harimau were instructed to sit even deeper and press harder in order to restrict the Young Lions' scoring chances.
The tactic certainly worked as the Young Lions continued struggling to get a shot on target and it prompted Young Lions coach Juergen Raab to send on Irfan Fandi and Amy Recha in an attempt to inject some life into his side's attack.
Harimau will then rue Annas Rahmat's miss in the 79th minute, as the unmarked defender headed Akhir Bahari's corner over and wasted the opportunity to seal the win.
Irfan made sure that miss haunted them, as he stabbed home a pass from Fadli Kamis after Taufik found him in the box with a cross in the 88th minute.
Despite there being five minutes of added time, neither side could find another goal and it meant that the spoils of the game had to be shared.
Courts Young Lions: Syazwan Buhari (GK) (C), Fadli Kamis, Amirul Adli, M.Anumanthan, Safirul Sulaiman, Shahfiq Ghani (Irfan Fandi 59'), Jordan Webb, Taufik Suparno, Sheikh Abdul Hadi, Sherif El-Masri, Afiq Noor (Amy Recha 67')
Harimau Muda: Ilham Amirullah (GK), Ariff Farhan, Irfan Zakaria, Adam Nor (C), Kumaahran Sathasivam, Azrul Nizam Muhammad (Ashmawi Yakin 86'), Faizat Ghazali, Syahrul Azwari (Arif Anwar 67'), Akhir Bahari, Annas Rahmat, Kenny Pallrah
CHEETAHS FALL TO FAZRUL’S BRACE
Written by: Nigel Chin
Fazrul Nawaz netted a brace as Warriors FC defeated Hougang United 2-0 at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium to earn their first win in four games on Monday evening.
The striker struck once in each half to bring his league tally up to 17, which left him just one behind Brunei DPMM’s Rafael Ramazotti in the chase for the top scorer award.
Warriors came into the game unsettled by recent departures, after title-winning coach Alex Weaver left on mutual consent along with assistant Kevin Wee.
Hired in his place was Karim Bencherifa, but with his paperworks still pending, long-serving youth coach Razif Onn was asked to stand in.
Despite that, the defending S.League champions managed to put in a great team effort to secure a crucial win that kept them in the top half of the standings.
Karlo Ivancic could have opened the scoring in the ninth minute for the hosts, but squandered a good chance by firing wide, while Thomas Beattie scuffed a volley to allow Hougang custodian Ridhuan Barudin an easy save.
But 15 minutes into the game, Warriors goalkeeper Shahul Rayyan was forced off following a clash of heads with Hougang’s Yuki Uchiyama, which left the 20-year-old dazed.
Prime League goalkeeper Nur Amin Malik, who conceded five times on his debut against Albirex Niigata (S) in March, came on to make his second appearance.
However, it was the Warriors who continued to toil away, with Miroslav Pejic just inches away from breaking the deadlock with a free-kick.
Minutes before half-time, the hosts were given a penalty after Uchiyama bundled over Fazrul inside the box.
The striker picked himself up to convert the spot-kick, which went in despite Ridhuan getting a touch to it.
Fazrul almost doubled the lead six minutes after the restart after Pejic found him with a square, only for the Singapore striker to uncharacteristically fire over.
Sotirovic sent a free-kick way over down the other end in the 58th minute, before Fazrul scored his second three minutes later.
After a neat one-two with Pejic down the right side, Fazrul was sent galloping through on goal, and he made no mistake with a fine finish past the hapless Ridhuan.
Ivancic then saw an effort from close range deflected out by Delwinder Singh, before Marin Vidosevic did the same at the other end to deny Sotirovic’s volley.
Warriors could have scored a third towards the end of the game, but Pejic took his time and lost the ball in a three-on-one break.
However, they were still able to repel Hougang in the defending third, and walked away with three points in the bag.
Warriors FC: Shahul Rayyan (GK) (Nur Amin Malik 21’) , Syaqir Sulaiman, Daniel Bennett (C), Marin Vidosevic, Irwan Shah, Thomas Beattie, Shi Jiayi, Miroslav Pejic, Hafiz Rahim (Hamqaamal Shah 90’), Karlo Ivancic (Emmeric Ong 90’), Fazrul Nawaz
Hougang United: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Ruzaini Zainal (Faizal Amir 78’), Delwinder Singh, Yuki Uchiyama, Faiz Salleh, Atsushi Shimono, Taufiq Ghani (Fareez Farhan 72’), Carlos Delgado (Muhaymin Salim 72’), Diego Gama, Nurhimi Jasni (C), Vuk Sotirovic
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