Written By: Kenneth Ho

Home United ended their Great Eastern Yeo’s S.League 2015 season on a high after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Courts Young Lions on Sunday evening.

Young Lions had taken the lead in the second half through Taufik Suparno, but goals from Stanely Ng and Ken Ilso ensured the Protectors took home three deserved points.

The victory at the Yishun Stadium ensured that the Protectors halted a losing streak of four games, and go into their RHB Singapore Cup semi-final second leg in high morale.

Home will finish in sixth spot in the table, while the loss means that Young Lions can fall to eighth place if Geylang International win their last game.

The Protectors started the game brightly, and had sight of goal within four minutes of kick-off but Syazwan Buhari stood firm to push away Ken Ilso’s volley.

Six minutes later, the striker had another chance when Azhar Sairudin played him through but he contrived to lash over instead.

Ilso then turned provider by sending an intelligent chip to find Stanely Ng but the winger was unfortunate to see his shot crash off the underside of the bar in the 22nd minute.

The hosts continued to lay siege on the Young Lions’ goal but respective efforts by Ng and Song Uiyong came nowhere close to troubling Syazwan as both sides went into the break on level terms.

The deadlock was finally broken by the Young Lions in the second half, after just five minutes of play.

Home goalkeeper Shahril Jantan missed his interception and allowed Jordan Webb to send a cross to Taufik Suparno, who hit home from close range.

However, the visitors’ lead only lasted eight minutes. In a swift counter, Ilso’s got onto the end of Sirina Camara’s cross, before flicking it on for Ng to lash home.

On the hour mark, Ilso came close but Syazwan managed to keep out the former’s drilled shot with his feet.

It seemed it would not be Ilso’s night in the 79th minute, when Syazwan once again denied him with a superb reflex save to keep out his point-blank header.

However, his efforts were finally vindicated in the 83rd minute, when he met substitute Sufianto Salleh’s cross to bundle home what would prove to be the winner.

Home United: Shahril Jantan (GK), Song Uiyong, Juma’at Jantan, Noh Rahman (C), Azhar Sairudin (Imran Sahib 73′), Ken Ilso, Yasir Hanapi (Nur Hizami 90′), Sirina Camara, Stanely Ng (Sufianto Salleh 81′), Kamel Ramdani, R.Aaravin

Courts Young Lions: Syazwan Buhari (GK) (C), Fadli Kamis, Amirul Adli, Safirul Sulaiman, Amy Recha (Irfan Fandi 35′), Nur Na’iim Ishak (Suria Prakash 76′), Jordan Webb, Taufik Suparno, Sheikh Abdul Hadi, Afiq Noor, Ammirul Emmran (Shamil Sharif 67′)