Spectators treated to feisty affair at National Stadium as Iqram Rifqi salvaged a point

Haiqal Pashia scored his first goal for the season to give Young Lions the lead.

SINGAPORE, 23 JUNE 2018 – Ten-man Young Lions ended a four-game losing streak in the Great Eastern-Hyundai Singapore Premier League (SPL) by holding Home United FC 1-1 at the National Stadium, Singapore Sports Hub on Saturday evening.

Haiqal Pashia had given the Young Lions the lead but substitute Iqram Rifqi scored right at the death to give Home the share of the points after Zulqarnaen Suzliman was sent off.

It took the Young Lions just six minutes to open the scoring after being awarded their first penalty of the season.

Shahrin Saberin inexplicably gave possession away to Haiqal and the forward was felled by Faizal Roslan as he cut into the box, before picking himself up to calmly convert from 12 yards.

Home tried to find a way back into the game and Izzdin Shafiq, in particular, was causing all sort of problems with his set-piece deliveries.

The Home captain’s 13th-minute free-kick seemed to be heading into goal before Irfan Fandi made a vital block at the far post, while another dead ball seven minutes later just failed to find Abdil Qaiyyim at the back post.

Just past the half-hour mark, Izzdin went for goal and nearly caught Young Lions Zharfan Rohaizad out with his fierce drive, but the latter managed to react in time to keep the ball out.

Home had another chance to equalise in the 40th minute when Abdil met Amy Recha’s cross and tried to bundle it over the line, but Zharfan was on hand to collect the ball.

The Young Lions nearly made the Protectors pay for that miss and should have doubled their advantage just before the break.

Rusyaidi Salime went on a dazzling run from the halfway line and beat two defenders, but Rudy Khairullah came rushing out to tip away his attempted chip.

Young Lions were forced to defend their lead after the restart as Home put them under severe pressure.

Home had to wait till the hour mark before they had sight of goal again, but Izzdin could only hit his effort just wide from 20 yards out.

At the other end, Naufal Azman tried his luck from distance and his attempt flashed just past the post.

The Protectors were handed a lifeline in the 75th minute, when Zulqarnaen received his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card.

With the numerical advantage, Home were able to find the equaliser at the end of regulation time through substitute Iqram, who was teed up by M. Anumanthan before proceeding to blast the ball home.

That goal caused some consternation among the Young Lions players as Naqiuddin Eunos was down with cramp while Home carried on playing, with tempers fraying at the end of the final whistle and Young Lions goalkeeper Zharfan Rohaizad was shown a red card.

Home United have only three days to prepare now before they take on Tampines Rovers FC at Our Tampines Hub, while Young Lions are to face Geylang International FC next on 4 July at Jalan Besar Stadium.

WHAT THEY SAID
Young Lions Assistant Head Coach S. Subramani: “We were just robbed of the three points… Credit to our boys; even with one man down, they fought very well. We all watched the game today (and) I don’t want to make any comments about the referee. We will talk to our boys, we have been talking to our boys and we have been telling them how to act off and on the pitch.”

Home Head Coach Aidil Sharin: “We didn’t really play well. Especially in the defence area, we had a lack of ideas. But the boys were trying their best and it was very hard because most of our key players were missing. Overall, I think we deserve the point. The way we attacked, the way we came, it’s just that we were not good enough to finish it. But you have to give credit to Young Lions because these boys are working very hard also to prove something and to get a point.”

Young Lions: Zharfan Rohaizad (GK), Taufiq Muqminin (C) (Aniq Iskandar 89’), Irfan Fandi, Adam Hakeem, Syahrul Sazali, Rusyaidi Salime (Prakash Raj 86’), Naqiuddin Ahmad (Ifwat Ismail 90’+2), Zulqarnaen Suzliman, Hami Syahin, Naufal Azman, Haiqal Pashia.
Unused subs: Hairul Syirhan (GK), Asshukrie Wahid, R. Aaravin, Amirul Hakim.

Home: Rudy Khairullah (GK), Faizal Roslan, Shahrin Saberin (Amiruldin Asraf 84’), Abdil Qaiyyim, Aqhari Abdullah, Izzdin Shafiq (C), M. Anumanthan, Hafiz Nor, Arshad Shamim (Faritz Hameed 75’), Amy Recha (Iqram Rifqi 61’), Shahril Ishak.
Unused subs: Kenji Rusydi (GK), Eko Pradana Putra (GK), Suhairi Sabri, Daniel Hakim.

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