Courts Young Lions vs Hougang United

(October 18, Saturday, 7.30pm, Jalan Besar Stadium)

Written by: Phoon Jia Hui

Hougang United will travel to Jalan Besar Stadium warily, as they take on bogey team Courts Young Lions in the developmental side’s second last home game of the season.

The Young Lions have claimed some surprising results this season, two of which have come against Hougang despite the Cheetahs enjoying a good run of games during that period.

Having missed out on sixth spot because of their failure to get a result against several teams, including the Young Lions, it can be certain Hougang will want to gain redemption of some sort and exact revenge on the hosts.

That said, Hougang cannot take the threat of the Young Lions lightly and this will be no walk in the park.

Aide Iskandar’s side may lack the experience but what they have in abundance is energy and they are also capable of good performances on their day.

Hougang will have to watch out for forward Sahil Suhaimi, who is the Young Lions’ leading scorer with nine goals and has struck each time he faced Hougang this season.

The two teams will miss key defenders for this encounter, as both Fadli Kamis and Wahyudi Wahid of Young Lions and Hougang respectively, serve one-match suspensions after they were sent off in their last game.

Suspensions: Fadli Kamis (Courts Young Lions); Wahyudi Wahid (Hougang United).

Key Men To Watch

Courts Young Lions: Jordan Webb

With his mazy runs and nifty footwork, Webb could well be the key to unlocking the Hougang defence.

The Canadian-born winger has eight goals for the Young Lions this season, and that is just one shy of Sahil’s eight and goalscoring responsibilities will fall on the shoulders of the duo.

Against Home United in their final game of Round Two, Webb played a pivotal role as he created one and scored another to help his side to a 3-0 win in a game which saw him achieve a passing accuracy of 79%.

Hougang United: Igor Cerina

Snapped up midway through the 2013 season, Cerina has been rock solid this season, putting in performances week-in-week-out for Hougang.

The centre-back is not only equally adept at playing with the ball at both his feet and in the air, but can also be a handful for opposing defenders at set-pieces with four goals to his name so far this season.

He will hence have to be at his best self against a Young Lions strikeforce which includes Sahil who is touted as the nation’s next top striker.

Courts Young Lions – LLWWL

4/10/14    Tanjong Pagar United 3-1 Courts Young Lions

1/10/14    Courts Young Lions 0-1 Harimau Muda

28/8/14    Home United 0-3 Courts Young Lions

23/8/14    Courts Young Lions 2-1 Hougang United

20/8/14    Warriors FC 4-1 Courts Young Lions

Hougang United – LWLLL

4/10/14    Hougang United 0-1 Harimau Muda

18/9/14    Woodlands Wellington 0-3 Hougang United

2/9/14      Hougang United 1-2 Harimau Muda

27/8/14    Balestier Khalsa 4-1 Hougang United

23/8/14    Courts Young Lions 2-1 Hougang United

Head to Head (S.League)

23/8/14    Courts Young Lions 2-1 Hougang United

2/5/14      Hougang United 0-3 Courts Young Lions

5/11/13    Courts Young Lions 2-0 Hougang United

7/5/13      Hougang United 1-0 Courts Young Lions

10/5/12    Hougang United 0-2 Courts Young Lions

17/2/12    Courts Young Lions 0-3 Hougang United

17/9/11    Hougang United 1-1 Courts Young Lions

2/8/11      Courts Young Lions 2-0 Hougang United

14/3/11    Hougang United 1-0 Courts Young Lions