The striker took his tally to 15 goals for the season to dent Warriors’ top-four finish aspirations

Volodymyr Pryiomov (in black) scored two goals to turn the game around for DPMM FC.

SINGAPORE, 15 SEP 2018 – Warriors FC fell to their second 2-1 defeat to Brunei DPMM FC for the season, with a brace from Volodymyr Priyomov helping the visitors to turn the tie around on Saturday evening at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium.

Warriors had taken the lead first through captain Kento Fukuda, but Warriors failed to keep the lead – the fourth time they have done so this season against DPMM.

The defeat means that they are virtually out of the running for fourth spot in the Great Eastern-Hyundai Singapore Premier League table – they trail DPMM by six points with just two games to go in the season, while DPMM also have a game in hand.

It could possibly be a psychological blow for the Warriors’ Singapore Cup hopes; they play DPMM again on Wednesday in the second leg of the first round, with the aggregate score at 2-2.

Warriors had the brighter start to the game, with Jonathan Behe forcing Haimie Nyaring into a save early on.

But DPMM came very close to breaking the deadlock in the 11th minute through Azwan Ali, who pounced on a loose ball near the halfway line and fired a first-time volley that crashed off the bar.

A minute later, Najib Tarif sprung the offside trap but his effort from his weaker left foot was not enough to trouble Mukundan Maran.

DPMM kept up the pressure and Mukundan was forced into a superb save with his leg to prevent Azwan Saleh’s powerful effort from going in. From the resulting corner, Brian McLean nodded wide.

The young Warriors goalkeeper was once again called into action in the 22nd minute, after Adi Said was allowed to cut in and get a shot away.

Fadhil Noh then saw a volley curl narrowly wide, before Abdul Aziz Tamit screwed his shot with an open goal waiting, after Azwan Ali had picked him out with a free-kick. The ball fell nicely for Adi and the forward caught it sweetly, only for Hafiz Sulaiman to block it right on the line.

DPMM were left to rue those misses, as Warriors found the net a couple of minutes later.

Khairul Nizam managed to get onto the end of Shamil Sharif’s floated free-kick and smartly nodded it to the far post for Fukuda to score with a simple tap in.

The lead lasted for just eight minutes though. Nobody tracked Priyomov’s run as Azwan Ali floated in a free-kick and the Ukranian flicked the ball into the net from point-blank range.

Shah Razen Said then spurned a glorious chance, smashing a rebound well over with Mukundan beaten.

Warriors started the second half brightly, with Ammirul Emmran hitting the post with a curling effort four minutes after the restart.

But DPMM slowly grew into the ascendancy and Priyomov put them ahead in the 70th minute with a highly contentious effort.

A shot from Adi forced Mukundan with a decent save, but Azwan Saleh was first to the rebound and his pass found Priyomov to tap in, with the Warriors players claiming he was in an offside position.

The home side were almost gifted a goal in the 82nd minute, when Haimie allowed Sahil Suhaimi’s shot to slip through his grasp and bounce just wide of the goal.

From the resulting corner, Emmeric Ong planted a header just wide and DPMM were able to hold off Warriors for the remaining 10 minutes in the game.

WHAT THEY SAID
Warriors Head Coach Mirko Grabovac: “I am frustrated… for the second goal, everybody can see number 10 was on the line…. he must be offside. Again, the concentration was missing in the second half.

“They must be better at defending set-pieces. The set-pieces from them are very dangerous. Most of the game, they scored from there. Every time we practice it in training, but this still happens. We have to see how we can improve in two or three days.

“Sure, we will be changing something on Wednesday, but I can’t say it now. Nizam was fine, Shamil was okay today. Some of the players came from the national team, some had injury (so they didn’t play today). We are going to see, but for sure we will change something.

“We had chances to score again… sometimes the players who are coming into the game from the bench have to prepare better.”

DPMM Head Coach Rene Weber: “It will be a different game on Wednesday – they have a good team. It will be game number five (against them) this season.

“We played here before, the field is not so good. The main point is when you beat an opponent, you know how they play but they also know how we play – and a knockout match is a different challenge. We lost two players today to injury… I hope they can play in the next game.”

Warriors: Mukundan Maran (GK), Ismadi Mukhtar, Kento Fukuda, Ammirul Emmran (Ho Wai Loon 68′), Shamil Sharif, Emmeric Ong, Jonathan Behe, Ignatius Ang (Suria Prakash 84′), Khairul Nizam (Sahil Suhaimi 55′), Hafiz Sulaiman, Fadhil Noh.
Unused subs: Fashah Iskandar (GK), Delwinder Singh, Daniel Shafiq, Tajeli Salamat.

DPMM: Haimie Nyaring (GK), Brian McLean, Awangku Fakharrazi (Helmi Zembin 62′), Azwan Saleh (C), Azwan Ali Rahman (Abdul Aziz Rahman 76′), Hendra Azam, Volodymyr Priyomov, Najib Tarif, Suhaimi Sulau (Shah Razen Said 21′), Adi Said, Abdul Aziz Tamit
Unused subs: Wardun Yussof (GK), Mojtaba Mollasaraei, Abdul Hariz Herman, Hanif Hamir.