Singapore Premier League • August 15, 2019
Singapore Premier League Week 21: Roundup
SINGAPORE, 15 AUGUST 2019 – Two title aspirants suffered contrasting fates in midweek as Hougang United closed in on table-toppers Brunei DPMM, while Tampines Rovers failed to take the opportunity to keep up. Elsewhere, Balestier Khalsa ended a torrid win-less streak by upsetting Home United. We recap the three games…
Hougang 3-1 Warriors | Jalan Besar Stadium | 13 August
Mahathir Azeman 13′, Stipe Plazibat 68′, Faris Ramli 90’+2 | Suria Prakash 85′
Clement Teo’s men took three important points by brushing aside Warriors FC to close the gap on leaders DPMM to three points thanks to a starring display from Stipe Plazibat. The Cheetahs pressed hard from kick-off and broke the deadlock through Mahathir Azeman, who deftly headed in Plazibat’s ball from the right. It was a special moment for the 23-year-old midfielder, who has seen just over 400 minutes of playing time since turning professional in 2015 due to three major knee injuries. Gabriel Quak spurned a glorious opportunity to equalise before the break and Hougang made them pay after the break as Hafiz Sujad fizzed in a low ball for Plazibat to sidefoot in from close range. Suria Prakash capped a lively cameo off the bench by turning in Ignatius Ang’s square pass but Faris Ramli sealed the result with a bouncing low effort from just inside the box in added time for his 11th goal of the season.
Facts
– Mahathir scored his first ever professional goal.
– Mahathir became the 16th different player to score for Hougang this season; no other team has more.
– Hougang scored in added time of the second half for the first time this season.
– Suria scored his first goal of the season.
Hougang XI: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Nazrul Nazari, Fabian Kwok, Kong Howon, Jordan Vestering (Hafiz Sujad 53’), Zulfahmi Arifin (C), Afiq Noor, Nikesh Singh (Iqbal Hussain 72’), Mahathir Azeman (Shahfiq Ghani 46’), Stipe Plazibat, Faris Ramli.
Unused subs: Khairulhin Khalid (GK), Faiz Salleh, Muhaimin Suhaimin, Timothy Yeo.
Warriors XI: Fashah Iskandar (GK), Ryhan Stewart (Ammirul Emmran 85’), Emmeric Ong, R. Aaravin (Suria Prakash 76’), Kento Fukuda, Tajeli Salamat, Faizal Raffi, Gabriel Quak (C), Shameer Aziq (Ignatius Ang 62’), Sahil Suhaimi, Jonathan Behe.
Unused subs: Riki Kimura (GK), Yeo Hai Ngee, Poh Yi Feng, Afiq Azrhy.
Home 1-3 Balestier | Bishan | 14 August
Faritz Hameed 70’| Kristijan Krajček 14′, 85′, Hazzuwan Halim 66′
Balestier snapped a 10-game win-less streak in style by powering past a hapless Home, led by an all-action display from Šime Žužul. The striker set up all three of the Tigers’ goals and it started with a cut-back to Kristijan Krajček for a precise curled effort into the bottom right from 20 yards inside the first 15 minutes. A flicked header for Hazzuwan Halim to stab home made it 2-0. Faritz Hameed came off the bench to halve the deficit by heading in a delightful pass from Hami Syahin, but Shahril Ishak spurned the chance to equalise when he cracked a penalty off the post. As the Protectors pushed forward, they were caught out at the back as Žužul played in Krajček to bury a left-footed effort.
Facts
– Faritz’s goal was Home’s first headed goal this season; they were the only team not to have scored a header before this match.
– Hami made a team-leading fifth assist.
– Krajček became the 22nd player to score a brace this season.
– Žužul is the first player to make at least three assists in a league game since Shahfiq Ghani assisted all of Hougang’s goals in a 3-3 draw against Home on 2 May 2018.
– Ahmad Zaki made his Balestier debut.
– Hazzuwan scored for a second consecutive game.
Home XI: Nazri Sabri (GK), Juma’at Jantan (C), Taufiq Muqminin, Faizal Roslan, Ho Wai Loon, Shahril Ishak, Song Uiyoung, Arshad Shamim (Faritz Hameed 62’), Hami Syahin, Hafiz Nor (Iqram Rifqi 87’), Amiruldin Asraf (Suhairi Sabri 66’).
Unused subs: Haikal Hasnol (GK), Aqhari Abdullah, Sheikh Faris, Bill Mamadou.
Balestier XI: Zacharial Leong (GK), Fadli Kamis (C), Sheikh Abdul Hadi, Khalili Khalif, Nurullah Hussein, Hazzuwan Halim (Sanjin Vrebac 85’), Ahmad Syahir, Huzaifah Aziz (Raihan Rahman 77’), Kristijan Krajček, Fariz Faizal (Ahmad Zaki 67’), Šime Žužul.
Unused subs: Haziq Roslan (GK), Sufianto Salleh, Daniel Goh, Gaye Sameer.
Geylang 2-1 Tampines | Jalan Besar | 14 August
Shawal Anuar 16′, Yuki Ichikawa 90′ | Shahdan Sulaiman 44′
A stirring performance from Geylang saw them edge Tampines for their first derby win since July 2017. More importantly, Yuki Ichikawa’s late winner struck a dagger blow to the Stags’ title chances – a victory would have seen them move just two points behind leaders DPMM with five games to go. Jordan Webb glanced a header off the post early on but it was all Geylang traffic otherwise, with Christopher van Huizen powering a header wide from a good position shortly after. The pressure paid off when Van Huizen floated in an inch-perfect cross from the left for Shawal Anuar, whose downwards header gave Syazwan Buhari no chance. Against the run of play, Shahdan Sulaiman’s fizzing 25-yard effort restored parity but Tampines could not build on that after the break. Syazwan denied substitute Fareez Farhan with a brilliant fingertip save, but was powerless when Ichikawa rose highest to head in Fareez’s deep free-kick for a captain’s goal.
Facts
– With four goals, Ichikawa is the top-scoring defender in the league this season.
– Van Huizen made his eighth assist of the season; only Ryutaro Megumi has more (9).
– Geylang have scored 10 headed goals, the most of any team.
– Geylang have conceded the most goals from outside the box in open play (8).
– Shahdan’s strike was his first from open play this season, having scored all his previous four goals from direct free-kicks.
