Written by: Phoon Jia Hui

Tampines Rovers advanced to the StarHub League Cup 2014 Plate Final in style as they put nine unanswered goals past National Football League Division One side Police Sports Association at Clementi Stadium on Saturday evening.

A hat-trick from Miljan Mrdakovic and a brace from Noh Alam Shah coupled with a goal each from Jozef Kaplan, Ang Zhi Wei, Christopher Van Huizen and Jacob Butler sealed a comprehensive win for Tampines who will now meet Balestier Khalsa on Thursday.

It was a game Tampines dominated for most parts although chances were at a premium in an uneventful first-half.

Van Huizen nearly opened the scoring less than a minute into the game but the winger could only drill a shot wide from the edge of the area.

However, the Stags would take the lead 15 minutes into the match through Kaplan who tapped home from close range off Alam Shah’s knockdown.

Buoyed by the opener, Tampines went in search for a second but Kunihiro Yamashita was unable to keep his header down from a corner, before Butler’s tame shot was easily dealt with by Police custodian Zulhelmi Hazlan.

The lead was finally doubled on the stroke of half-time, as an unmarked Ang connected with Van Huizen’s left-wing cross to send a header which sailed past a hapless Zulhelmi.

After the break, the defending Great Eastern Yeo’s S.League champions looked a different side and further extended their lead through half-time substitute Mrdakovic in the 48th minute.

That sparked a goal frenzy as it became 4-0 on 64 minutes when Alam Shah fired past Zulhelmi who was left exposed once again.

Mrdakovic then completed his hat-trick in the space of four minutes when he first sent Zulhelmi the wrong way from the spot in the 70th minute before heading home off a cross from fellow substitute Jamil Ali.

Despite the huge lead they had at hand, the home side were unrelenting and Van Huizen got his name on the scoresheet when he blasted a loose ball home into the top corner on 76 minutes.

There was still time for more goals as Alam Shah and Butler then wrapped up victory with two quick-fire strikes in the 87th and 88th minute respectively.