Singapore Premier League • July 15, 2019
Singapore Premier League Week 17: Roundup
SINGAPORE, 15 JULY 2019 – The title race took another twist as Brunei DPMM went four points clear of Albirex Niigata (S) at the top, having edged the Young Lions to capitalise on the Japanese side’s stumble at home to Hougang United. Home United came from behind to win a five-goal thriller against Geylang International, while Warriors FC stunned Tampines Rovers. We recap the weekend’s action below…
Geylang 2-3 Home | Our Tampines Hub | 12 July
Muhd Noor Ariff 3′, 10′ | Hafiz Nor 5′, 25′ Hami Syahin 43′
Radojko Avramovic led Home to a second win in as many games since he took charge, though his side had to dig deep against the Eagles. The hosts got off to a flyer when Christopher van Huizen skipped past his man and crossed from the left for Muhammad Noor Ariff, who capped his late run with a glancing header to break the deadlock. A similar move saw Geylang retake the lead after Hafiz Nor had unleashed a skidding low drive into the bottom left corner to level, but Home equalised again through Hafiz’s beautiful free-kick. The game was settled a few minutes before the break courtesy of Hami Syahin, who played a one-two with Faritz Hameed before guiding a left-footed strike into the bottom left corner from 25 yards.
Facts
– Van Huizen made two assists in a game for the second match running.
– This was the first time Geylang lost a game in which they took the lead (W3 D1 from previous four occasions).
– Hafiz scored his second brace of the season.
– Home have now won all of their last eight encounters against Geylang.
Geylang XI: Hairul Syirhan (GK), Anders Aplin, Darren Teh, Yuki Ichikawa (C), Fareez Farhan (Umar Akhbar 84’), Barry Maguire, Christopher van Huizen, Jufri Taha, Zikos Chua (Matthew Palmer 55’), Firdaus Kasman, Muhd Noor Ariff (Amy Recha 65’).
Unused subs: Zainol Gulam (GK), Syahiran Miswan, Ifwat Ismail, Azri Suhaili.
Home XI: Haikal Hasnol (GK), Faritz Hameed, Abdil Qaiyyim (C), Faizal Roslan, Ho Wai Loon, Hami Syahin, Song Uiyoung (Muhelmy Suhaimi 82’), Oliver Puflett (Aqhari Abdullah 78’), Arshad Shamim (Taufiq Muqminin 90+4), Hafiz Nor, Amiruldin Asraf.
Unused subs: Putra Anugerah (GK), Iqram Rifqi, Suhairi Sabri, Anaqi Ismit.
Young Lions 0-1 DPMM | Jalan Besar | 13 July
Abdul Azizi Rahman 10’
The Young Lions’ dismal record against the Bruneian side continued as they went down to a narrow defeat, despite a much-improved second-half showing. The leaders took a deserved lead when Charlie Clough headed Hendra Azam’s deep free-kick back across the area for Abdul Azizi Rahman, who met it with a first-time finish from 10 yards. Another free-kick situation saw the visitors hit the post and they spurned a few more opportunities to add to their lead, which they nearly rued. The Young Lions came out fighting after the break and had opportunities of their own, most notably when Abdul Rasaq found himself clean through only to be let down by a poor first touch. In the end, DPMM held on to open up a four-point gap with nine games to go.
Facts
– Young Lions have now failed to beat DPMM in any of their 21 encounters.
– Azizi has scored in each of his last three games.
– Wardun Yussof recorded a league-leading seventh clean sheet of the season.
– League top scorer Andrei Varankou has failed to score in five games now.
– DPMM now have five different players who have scored match-winning goals, the most of any team.
Young Lions XI: Zharfan Rohaizad (GK), Irfan Najeeb, Lionel Tan, Naqiuddin Eunos (Nur Adam Abdullah 78’), Jacob Mahler, Joshua Pereira (C), Syed Firdaus Hassan, Sharul Nizam (Rezza Rezky 56’ (Qayyum Raishyan 88’)), Abdul Rasaq Akeem, Saifullah Akbar.
Unused subs: Adib Hakim (GK), Asraf Zahid, Danial Syafiq, Syahadat Masnawi.
DPMM XI: Wardun Yussof (C), Hazwan Hamzah, Yura Indera Putera, Charlie Clough, Helmi Zambin, Hendra Azam, Adi Said, Najib Tarif, Azwan Ali Rahman (Razimee Ramlli 63’), Abdul Azizi Rahman (Shah Razen Said 78’), Andrei Varankou.
Unused subs: Haimie Nyaring (GK), Awangku Fakharrazi, Abdul Mu’iz Sisa, Azwan Saleh, Wafi Aminuddin.
Albirex 1-2 Hougang | Jurong East | 13 July
Zamani Zamri 54′ | Stipe Plazibat 25′, 31′
Hougang made history by becoming the first team in close to four years to triumph against Albirex at their Jurong East fortress, snapping their incredible 48-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. The Cheetahs bounced back from last week’s shock defeat to Young Lions by charging out of the blocks and were rewarded when the irrepressible Faris Ramli won a penalty. While Stipe Plazibat’s spot-kick was saved, the Croatian slotted in the rebound and then capped a fine team move six minutes later. Faris surged into the box and cut the ball back for Afiq Noor, who calmly teed Plazibat to slot in from 10 yards. Zamani Zamri reduced arrears by finishing off a stray back pass and the Cheetahs withstood late pressure to dent their opponents’ title hopes.
Facts
– Before this game, Albirex’s last loss at Jurong East was in November 2015.
– Albirex’s eight-game winning streak was halted.
– Zamani scored his first professional goal.
– Plazibat scored his third brace of the season; no other player in the league has more.
Albirex XI: Kengo Fukudome (GK), Naruki Takahashi, Kyoga Nakamura (C), Sota Sugiyama, Kaishu Yamazaki, Firas Irwan (Yoshikatsu Hiraga 46’), Zamani Zamri (Ryo Nakano 83’), Yosuke Nakagawa, Daichi Tanabe, Shoki Ohara, Hiroyoshi Kamata.
Unused subs: Hyrulnizam Juma’at (GK), Gamu Tasaka, Shunsuke Fukuda.
Hougang XI: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Alif Iskandar (Nazrul Nazari 60’), Afiq Yunos, Kong Howon, Hafiz Sujad, Zulfahmi Arifin (C), Stipe Plazibat, Nikesh Singh (Iqbal Hussain 52’), Timothy Yeo (Shahfiq Ghani 80’), Faris Ramli, Afiq Noor.
Unused subs: Heng How Meng (GK), Faiz Salleh, Muhaimin Suhaimi, Paulin M’baye.
Tampines 1-2 Warrriors | Our Tampines Hub | 14 July
Jordan Webb pen. 90’+4 | Yeo Hai Ngee 22′, Sahil Suhaimi 60′
Tampines lost ground in the title race after falling to a surprise defeat at their home fortress against Warriors, who snapped their win-less streak. Gabriel Quak hit the post for the visitors in the early stages and was crucial in the opening goal, robbing a defender of the ball and going on to fire a shot that was parried into the path of Yeo Hai Ngee for a simple finish. Fashah Iskandar was in supreme form for Warriors and repelled a number of efforts, most noticeably from Jordan Webb and Yasir Hanapi, which meant that Sahil Suhaimi’s superb curled strike turned out to be the winner despite Webb’s late successful penalty.
Facts
– Tampines lost at home for the first time in 12 games.
– Tampines have now not won any of their last six encounters against Warriors.
– Warriors have conceded 35 goals, as many as they did for the 2018 season.
– Warriors won for the first time in five games.
– Warriors went on to win after taking a half-time lead for the first time this season, having failed to do so on three previous occasions.
