Written by: Phoon Jia Hui

Balestier Khalsa returned to winning ways in the Great Eastern Yeo’s S.League as they comfortably beat Tanjong Pagar United 3-0 at Queenstown Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Kim Min Ho and Goran Ljubojevic struck inside the opening half-hour before Park Kang Jin put the game to bed in the second-half to move the Tigers within a point of sixth-placed Hougang United.

It was pretty much one-way traffic in the first-half as Balestier dominated exchanges and looked more dangerous in attack.

Tanjong Pagar on the other hand, failed to make any headway going forward and were finding it difficult to find a way past a stout Balestier defence which was well-shielded by midfielders Tajeli Salamat and former Jaguar Jonathan Xu.

Kim gave Balestier the lead after just six minutes into the game.

Exchanging passes with Park Kang Jin on the edge of the area, the South Korean forward proceeded to unleash a shot which nestled nicely into Aurelien Herisson’s bottom corner.

Buoyed by the opener, the Tigers nearly made it two in the eighth minute but Zulkiffli Hassim saw his looping shot fly just over the bar.

Tanjong Pagar were then made to pay for their inability to fashion clear chances as Balestier went two up on 30 minutes when Ljubojevic thumped a powerful header home off Syed Thaha’s corner.

Firdaus Idros did manage to find an opening just before the break for the home side but his cross-cum-shot was easily dealt with by Zaiful Nizam who was hardly tested.

After the restart, Tengku Mushadad had a long-range effort easily gathered by Zaiful before Ljubojevic forced Herisson into a good save in the 50th minute.

But all hopes of a Tanjong Pagar comeback was extinguished three minutes before the hour mark as Park skipped past two challenges before rifling a left-footed shot which beat Herisson at his near post.

Balestier took their foot off the pedal thereafter but Tanjong Pagar enjoyed little luck in the attacking third as the latter slumped to yet another loss.