Written by: Muhammad Yazid

Brunei DPMM’s latest 4-1 thumping over Harimau Muda has allowed them to savour a five-point lead at the top of the table and Coach Steve Kean was very pleased with his charges.

“The key to our victory tonight was making sure we provide more service to the front,” he explained.

“You don’t get those chances if you don’t get good service. Sometimes in previous matches when we were dropping points, we were not giving good enough service to the front and back.

“Tonight we started the game very well and asked questions to our opposition’s back four.

“I put a lot of emphasis and pressure on Rodrigo Tosi to hold the ball upfront and make sure we can retain the ball from the front and set it back and that caused Harimau problems.”

Steve, however, mentioned that he would have preferred a clean sheet.

“I am disappointed that we conceded a sloppy loose goal from poor organization. We have these little details to improve on, including being a little bit more ruthless in front of goal,” the former Blackburn Rovers manager said.

The gaffer was humble enough to praise his opponents for their ‘fantastic performance’.

“Credits to Harimau, they never got dejected despite trailing, kept going and got a goal which they deserved,” he commented.

“Harimau’s goalkeeper (Ilham Amirullah) has to be also credited for making good saves to deny Roy O’Donovan and Tosi.”

The Scott then went to reveal the target DPMM has set for themselves at this period of the season, for them to sustain and secure the lead at the top of the table.

“We are trying to be unbeaten in the second round for the next four games,” he conveyed.

“We have done that before early this season and if we can do that, hopefully we will be a strong position before the third round starts.”

His counterpart, Razip Ismail was dismayed with the result.

“I am very disappointed with the scoreline and the fact that we ended the game with nine men (one red card and an injury),” he expressed.

“To concede two goals in the first half and to create chances and not score saddens me. We should have scored in the first half.

“We gave away a cheap penalty and conceded early in the second half which put too much pressure on us.

“That third goal killed everything because it came too early and have not yet settled down in the second half.”

Razip then picked out the factor which was eminent in his opposition’s side.

“DPMM is a very good team and it is always tough to play against them,” he shared.

“They played to their strength and it was very hard for my midfield to contain the pace of the game.”