Written By: Kenneth Ho

Hougang United ended the Great Eastern Yeo’s S.League campaign on a brilliant note after a 4-2 win over Tanjong Pagar United on Wednesday evening.

Geison Moura led his team with two goals, while Igor Ferreira and Firman Hanif added one each as the Cheetahs cruised to a comfortable victory.

The Cheetahs finished in seventh spot, matching their best-ever finish in the league and will look back on a season where they gave the top sides a run for their money and nearly made Tier One, only to get pipped to the spot by Balestier Khalsa based on goal difference.

It did not take long for Hougang to grab the lead, with Moura capitalising on Hafiz Osman’s failure to deal with a long ball to drive the ball past Tanjong Pagar goalkeeper Aurelien Herisson in the eighth minute.

Three minutes later, Kamel Ramdani took a chance from 35 yards after Hougang custodian Basil Chan hit a clearance into him. Despite the goalkeeper being off his line, Ramdani was unable to hit the mark.

Chan then produced a stunning save 19 minutes in, when he stretched backwards to tip away a Firdaus Idros header which was heading for the top corner.

Wahyudi Wahid tested Herisson with a low shot minutes later but the goalkeeper got down quickly to smother it.

The visitors could have equalised the game on 34 minutes, when Igor Cerina’s clearance ricocheted off Sebastien Etiemble. The goal was left gaping with Chan stranded from an earlier clash, but the rebound instead sailed over the crossbar.

It became 2-0 on the stroke of half-time after Firman easily weaved his way into the box to slam one in as the Cheetahs took a comfortable lead heading into the break.

Things turned interesting when Tanjong Pagar pulled one goal back through Ramdani’s spot-kick five minutes after the restart, but the Jaguars were unable to find the equaliser as they were wasteful with their chances.

Firdaus blasted one over while Hafiz headed wide as Tanjong Pagar squandered chance after chance.

They would soon pay for their profligacy, with Ferreria heading in his side’s third in the 73rd minute.

The Cheetahs were not done yet though, as Moura added the icing on the cake when he went on a mazy run and took the ball away from Herisson before rolling the ball into the back of the net for his brace.

Tanjong Pagar finally made their chances count in the 86th minute when Asraf Rashid scored, but by then, it was too little too late as the Jaguars ended their season on a losing note, in ninth place.