Home United vs Hougang United

(30 June, Friday, 7.30pm, Jalan Besar Stadium)

Written by: Phoon Jia Hui

Having ended leaders Albirex Niigata (S)’s unbeaten streak in the Great Eastern-Hyundai S.League the last time out, Home United head coach Aidil Sharin is targeting a string of good results as they approach the halfway mark of the season.

The result saw the Protectors record their fourth straight victory in all competitions as they reduced the gap at the summit to four points after 12 games played.

“Every game is different and difficult,” Aidil admitted. “We are not going to care too much about our opponents and work hard to get the results we want.

“The most important thing is we must perform consistently and not disappoint the fans who will come and support us.”

Having done his homework, the former Singapore international is wary of the threat the Cheetahs can pose and has a plan in mind to counter that.

“Hougang are very good with their set pieces outside the box and they have (Fumiya) Kogure who has ability to punish you in such situations,” he said.

“So we need to be careful to not give away too many fouls outside the box.

Meanwhile, defender Abdil Qaiyyim says it was an important victory against Albirex but has urged his teammates to keep their feet on the ground.

“It was a hard fought win and the entire team gave their all,” he said.

“We want to stay as close as possible to Albirex but ultimately, we hope we can achieve something at the end of the season. The team is taking one game at a time and we just want to stay humble and grounded.”

While he has sights set on a third S.League championship for the club, Abdil is keen to switch his focus on the upcoming game against the Cheetahs.

“Of course, winning the S.League this year is a bonus for the team but we do not want to look beyond our next game and we want to show our fans what we are capable of,” he shared.

“We hope we can do well against a Hougang side who are doing well at the moment. They are a strong team and we cannot afford to be complacent.”

While they might have beaten Albirex, it came at a cost as goalkeeper and captain Hassan Sunny came off after a nasty mid-air collision with Naofumi Tanaka.

And Aidil had some words of encouragement for the Singapore international.

“We hope he can recover well and bounce back from this setback,” Aidil said.

“I’m sure he will be back stronger to lead the team.”

Hougang on the other hand, are riding high at the moment after securing a place in the last eight of the RHB Singapore Cup after edging Ceres-Negros FC of the Philippines 1-0 in their Preliminary Round tie.

Philippe Aw’s side have also only lost once in their last five league matches, which came against Tampines Rovers in a 3-0 reverse.

Antoine Viterale who netted the winner against Ceres, could be in line for a start upfront after the youngster impressed in recent games.

Home United – DWWWW

23/06/17 Albirex Niigata (S) 0-2 Home United

30/05/17 Home United 3-2 Global Cebu FC (AFC Cup)

25/05/17 Home United 9-3 Brunei DPMM

21/05/17 Garena Young Lions 1-2 Home United

16/05/17 Global Cebu FC 2-2 Home United

Hougang United – WWDLW

20/06/17 Hougang United 1-0 Ceres-Negros FC (RHB Singapore Cup)

25/05/17 Hougang United 0-3 Tampines Rovers

20/05/17 Geylang International 1-1 Hougang United

11/05/17 Warriors FC 0-2 Hougang United

27/04/17 Hougang United 1-0 Balestier Khalsa

Head to Head (S.League)

09/04/17 Hougang United 0-2 Home United

12/08/16 Hougang United 4-2 Home United

29/04/16 Home United 3-2 Hougang United

18/02/16 Hougang United 1-0 Home United

17/09/15 Hougang United 0-1 Home United