Geylang International’s Vincent Bezecourt in action against Hougang United’s Shodai Yokoyama, 2 August 2024
SINGAPORE, 5 AUGUST 2024 – The frontrunners continue to pull away with BG Tampines Rovers and Lion City Sailors picking up victories of identical scorelines against Tanjong Pagar United and Brunei DPMM, as the Stags remain a point ahead of the Sailors. Elsewhere, Geylang International went down to Hougang United to suffer their first defeat of the season while Albirex Niigata (S) overcame Young Lions to come off the foot of the table. We recap all the action here…
Cheetahs stun Eagles
Geylang 0-1 Hougang | Jalan Besar | 2 August
Dejan Račić 35’
The match-deciding goal came in the first half with Račić coolly finishing off Shodai Yokoyama’s through ball and Hougang then defended stoutly throughout to claim a shock win.
Facts
- Geylang suffered their first loss of the season after 11 matches.
- Hougang have now took six points from their last three outings after starting the season with just four points from eight matches.
- Račić has now scored five in eight appearances for Hougang.
Geylang: Rudy Khairullah (GK), Joshua Pereira (C), Rio Sakuma (Zikos Chua 74’), Keito Hariya, Shakir Hamzah, Takahiro Tezuka, Vincent Bezecourt, Naqiuddin Eunos, Ryoya Taniguchi (Naufal Azman 78’), Iqbal Hussain (Ahmad Syahir 87’), Tomoyuki Doi.
Unused subs: Hairul Syirhan (GK), Akmal Azman, Faisal Shahril, Hud Ismail, Nur Ikhsanuddin.
Hougang: Zaiful Nizam (GK), Nazrul Nazari (C), Ensar Brunčević, Faris Hasić, Nazhiim Harman (Adam Reefdy 85’), Ajay Robson (Gabriel Quak 85’), Shodai Yokoyama, Shahdan Sulaiman, Hazzuwan Halim (Petar Banović 77’), Stjepan Plazonja, Dejan Račić.
Unused subs: Kenji Rusydi (GK), Keith Chung (GK), Justin Hui, Louka Vaissierre-Tan, Danie Hafiy, Yasir Nizamudin.
Hougang United’s Dejan Račić scoring against Geylang International, 2 August 2024
Thy inspires another Sailors win
Sailors 3-0 DPMM | Bishan | 3 August
Lennart Thy 20’, 69’, Shawal Anuar 50’
In a thoroughly dominant display, Thy put the Sailors ahead with a delightful backheel finish off Maxime Lestienne’s inch-perfect cross before the latter teed up Shawal for a cool finish beyond DPMM Kristijan Naumovski. Shawal then turned provider for Thy to fire home a crisp shot from just outside the box to complete a well-deserved victory for the Sailors.
Facts
- The Sailors have now won their last three matches since losing to BG Tampines 5-0 on 18 July.
- Both Thy and Shawal have scored in their last three Sailors’ outings.
- The Sailors collected their fourth clean sheet of the season, with Izwan Mahbud responsible for two of those.
- DPMM have now gone eight matches without a win.
Sailors: Izwan Mahbud (GK), Lionel Tan (Hafiz Nor 84’), Bailey Wright (C), Toni Datković, Christopher van Huizen, Rui Pires (Anumanthan Kumar 84’), Hami Syahin (Hariss Harun 75’), Maxime Lestienne, Shawal Anuar (Adam Swandi 84’), Song Uiyoung, Lennart Thy (Haiqal Pashia 89’).
Unused subs: Zharfan Rohaizad (GK), Bill Mamadou, Sergio Carmona Pérez, Nathan Mao.
DPMM: Kristijan Naumovski (GK), Syafiq Safiuddin (Nazry Aiman 60’), Yura Indera Putera, Nurikhwan Othman, Najib Tarif (Abdul Mu’iz Sisa 60’), Farshad Noor, Gabriel Gama (Nazirrudin Ismail 84’), Azwan Ali Rahman (C) (Hani Farhan 84’), Hakeme Yazid, Miguel Oliveira, Julio Cruz.
Unused subs: Haimie Nyaring (GK), Azwan Saleh, Faturrahman Embran, Hanif Hamir, Abdul Hariz Herman.
Lion City Sailors’ Bailey Wright in action against Brunei DPMM’s Miguel Oliveira, 3 August 2024
Stags continue to lead the way
Tanjong Pagar 0-3 BG Tampines | Jurong East | 3 August
Boris Kopitović 15’, Seia Kunori 24’, Faris Ramli 45’
It was a straightforward victory for BG Tampines, with Kunori setting up Kopitović to finish beyond Tanjong Pagar keeper Riki Kimura before hooking home a fine volley off Kyoga Nakamura’s cross to double the lead. The three points was already wrapped up by half time, with Glenn Kweh squaring across goal for Faris to tap home.
Facts
- BG Tampines kept their fifth clean sheet of the season – the most by any side.
- Kopitović has now pulled level with Aleksandar Duric as BG Tampines’ all-time top scorer with 105 goals.
- Kunori scored in three straight SPL games for the first time.
- Tanjong Pagar’s Ihsan Hadi and Taressh Kannan made their SPL debuts.
- Tampines’ Joel Chew made his first SPL appearance since September 2023.
Tanjong Pagar: Riki Kimura (GK), Zenivio Mota, Pathy Malumandsoko, Faizal Roslan (C), Syed Akmal, Ihsan Hadi (Sahil Suhaimi 62’), Tomoki Wada, Azim Akbar (Rezza Rezky 46’), Stefan Paunović, Shodai Nishikawa (Taressh Kannan 90’+2), Syahadat Masnawi.
Unused subs: Prathip Ekamparam (GK), Fashah Iskandar (GK), Shahrin Saberin, Umar Akhbar, Ahmad Danial, Arsyad Basiron.
BG Tampines: Syazwan Buhari (GK) (C), Irfan Najeeb (Jared Gallagher 90’), Shuya Yamashita, Amirul Adli, Miloš Zlatković, Shah Shahiran, Kyoga Nakamura, Glenn Kweh (Yasir Hanapi 73’), Seia Kunori (Saifullah Akbar 80’), Faris Ramli (Taufik Suparno 73’), Boris Kopitović (Joel Chew 80’).
Unused subs: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Syahrul Sazali, Kegan Phang, Thanet Suknate.
BG Tampines Rovers’ Faris Ramli and Glenn Kweh celebrating a goal against Tanjong Pagar United, 3 August 2024
White Swans find respite
Albirex 2-1 Young Lions | Jurong East | 4 August
Shingo Nakano 2’, Shuhei Hoshino 68’ | Stevia Egbus Mikuni O.G. 54’
Nakano gave Albirex an early lead through Nakano’s header off Gareth Low’s deep free-kick, before Young Lions equalised after the break with Mikuni inadvertently clearing Farhan Zulkifli’s cross into his own net. However, the White Swans retook the lead with Hoshino slamming home Low’s excellent left-wing cross and that proved enough to separate the two sides.
Facts
- All three of Albirex’s wins this season have come at home.
- Nakano has now scored eight goals in as many matches for Albirex.
- Hoshino scored for the first time in six outings.
- Mikuni has now scored own goals in both Albirex’s games against Young Lions this season.
Albirex: Hassan Sunny (GK), Junki Yoshimura, Koki Kawachi, Stevia Egbus Mikuni, Gareth Low, Syed Firdaus Hassan, Ho Wai Loon (C) (Yojiro Takahagi 46’), Arya Igami Tarhani (Syukri Bashir 90’+2), Daniel Goh (Arshad Shamim 79’), Shingo Nakano, Shuhei Hoshino.
Unused subs: Dylan Pereira (GK), Zainol Gulam (GK), Idraki Adnan, Daniel Martens, Hilman Norhisam, Kenji Austin.
Young Lions: Travis Ang (GK), Ryaan Sanizal (C) (Raoul Suhaimi 79’), Jun Kobayashi, Kieran Teo, Nur Adam Abdullah, Kan Kobayashi, Kaisei Ogawa, Khairin Nadim (Jonan Tan 79’), Fathullah Rahmat (Garv Sahoo 46’), Farhan Zulkifli (C), Itsuki Enomoto.
Unused subs: Aizil Yazid (GK), Aqil Yazid, Ikram Mikhail, Amir Syafiz, Fairuz Fazli, Danish Qayyum.
Young Lions’ Khairin Nadim attempting a shot against Albirex Niigata (S), 4 August 2024
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