Written by: Phoon Jia Hui

Brunei DPMM returned to winning ways in the Great Eastern Yeo’s S.League after a last-gasp 3-2 victory over Courts Young Lions at Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday evening.

With less than a minute remaining, Azwan Ali fired home the all-important winner to stem the visitors’ winless-run of four games and see them pull ahead of the pack by four points, albeit with a game in hand.

An own goal from Sairol Sahari had handed the home side an early lead but strikes from Roberto Alviz and Rodrigo Tosi put DPMM in front at the break. Young Lions’ Sahil Suhaimi then equalised with five minutes remaining but it proved inconsequential.

Taking the game to the visitors, the Young Lions slightly edged the opening exchanges with Iqbal Hussain and Sherif El-Masri having decent chances early on.

It did not take long for them to open the scoring. Merely seven minutes in, Webb broke free free down the left, before firing in a powerful shot from a tight angle which deflected off Sairol to make it 1-0.

The opener seemed to spur the Wasps on and Tosi thought he had levelled the scores minutes later but was denied by the offside flag before Hendra Azam flashed a shot wide.

Aide Iskandar’s side then should have went two goals up on 24 minutes but El-Masri could only fire straight at goalkeeper Wardun Yussof after receiving a pass from Nur Na’iim Ishak.

They were made to pay for that miss as Alviz equalised three minutes later, sweeping home from close range off a Tosi knockdown after the Young Lions had failed to clear their lines from a corner.

It soon became 2-1 on 37 minutes as Tosi turned scorer this time round, rising highest to nod home a corner delivery from Azwan as DPMM took a slender one-goal lead into the break.

Clear-cut chances were at a premium in the second-half but DPMM still managed to come close on several occasions.

An unmarked Tosi fired wide on 50 minutes before Roy O’Donovan saw his goalbound effort tipped over the bar by Rudy as they failed to add to their one-goal advantage.

DPMM then allowed their opponents to pull level in the 85th minute as Sahil went on a terrific run down the middle before drilling an unstoppable shot into Wardun’s bottom corner for 2-2.

Just as the Young Lions were celebrating nicking a point off the league leaders, Azwan capitalised on a lapse of concentration to blast a first-time volley past a hapless Rudy for the winning goal deep into second-half injury time.