Jordan Webb (L) celebrates as Tampines Rovers team-mate Zehrudin Mehmedovic joins him.

SINGAPORE, 2 NOVEMBER 2020 – The AIA Singapore Premier League (SPL) title race heated up as Tampines Rovers went top of the table this weekend by defeating previously-unbeaten Albirex Niigata (S). Meanwhile, the Lion City Sailors demolished Young Lions and Hougang United were held to a draw by Tanjong Pagar United as we recap all the action below…

 

Stags are real championship contenders
Tampines Rovers 2-0 Albirex Niigata (S) | Our Tampines Hub | 31 October
Syahrul Sazali 20’, Jordan Webb pen. 56’

Tampines made a strong statement of intent to claim their first league title since 2013 by ending Albirex’s unbeaten record. The Stags started off strongly and took the lead through the unlikeliest of scorers. After a quick one-two with Webb, left wing-back Syahrul cut inside Rio Sakuma before thumping a right-footed shot in off the crossbar from 15 yards. With Albirex’s top scorer Reo Nishiguchi then forced off through injury, Gavin Lee’s men took full advantage and sealed the win early in the second half. After his cross was adjudged to be handled by Kazuki Hashioka, Webb duly stepped up and sent Kei Okawa the wrong way from the spot. Tampines goalkeeper Syazwan Buhari then made a series of late saves to ensured they went one point clear of Albirex at the top with a game in hand.

 

Facts

• The result is identical to their last encounter at OTH in August 2019, in which Webb also scored.
• Albirex had 13 shots as compared to Tampines’ eight.
• Albirex failed to score in a match for the first time this season.
• Albirex’s defeat meant no team has won more than two games in a row this season.
• Albirex collected four yellow cards in this game; one less than their entire tally from the previous five games.
• Tampines have kept four clean sheets in five games so far; they have won all of those games.
• Tampines have scored first in all four of their victories this season.
• Syahrul’s two career goals so far have come against Albirex – he netted a free-kick for Young Lions in a 2-1 loss in July 2019.
• This is the second time Webb has scored and assisted in a game this season – the most in the league.
• Webb has been involved in eight of Tampines’ ten goals this season – four goals and four assists.
• Webb has assisted four different players; no other player has done so for more than two team-mates this season.

 

Tampines: Syazwan Buhari (GK), Daniel Bennett (C), Baihakki Khaizan (Irwan Shah 70’), Amirul Adli, Ryaan Sanizal (Madhu Mohana 46’), Kyoga Nakamura, Shah Shahiran (Huzaifah Aziz 75’), Syahrul Sazali, Zehrudin Mehmedović (Taufik Suparno 81’), Jordan Webb, Boris Kopitovic.
Unused subs: Zulfairuuz Rudy (GK), Fazrul Nawaz, Danish Siregar.

Albirex: Kei Okawa (GK), Kazuki Hashioka (C), Rio Sakuma, Kotaro Takeda, Hiroyoshi Kamata, Kenta Kurishima, Gareth Low (Ryuya Mitsuzuka 46’), Ryosuke Nagasawa, Fairoz Hasan (Yasuhiro Hanada 46’), Reo Nishiguchi (Ryoya Taniguchi 31’), Tomoyoki Doi.
Unused subs: Hyrulnizam Juma’at (GK), Mahiro Takahashi, Ren Ishihara, Ong Yu En.

 

Sailors back in the groove
Sailors 5-0 Young Lions | Bishan | 1 November
Jacob Mahler O.G 46′, Adam Swandi 70’, Stipe Plazibat 76’, pen. 82’, Gabriel Quak 90’+2

After a goal-less first half, it all changed for the Sailors just 20 seconds after the break as Mahler unfortunately put the ball in his own net while attempting to clear Quak’s cross. Substitute Adam then powered home a header from Plazibat’s cross, before returning the favour with a teasing ball into the six-yard box for the latter to adroitly steer past Nurshafiq Zainal. Plazibat grabbed a second from the spot after Adam was brought down before teeing up Quak to round off the scoring deep into injury time as the Sailors stayed five points behind Tampines.

 

Facts

• This is the Young Lions’ heaviest defeat since a 7-1 loss to Brunei DPMM in October 2017.
• Quak scored his first goal at Bishan for the home team after recording four for opposing teams since 2016.
• Plazibat has now scored 13 goals against Young Lions since 2016.
• Plazibat has a league-leading nine goals in six games.
• Plazibat and Adam became the fourth and fifth players to both score and make an assist in the same game this season.
• Adam is the first player to both score and make an assist in the same game as a substitute this season.

 

Sailors: Hassan Sunny (GK), Tajeli Salamat, Abdil Qaiyyim, Kaishu Yamazaki, Naqiuddin Eunos, Izzdin Shafiq (C) (Shahdan Sulaiman 59’), Song Uiyoung (Faizal Roslan 72’), Saifullah Akbar (Hafiz Nor 59’), Gabriel Quak, Haiqal Pashia (Adam Swandi 59’), Stipe Plazibat.
Unused subs: Rudy Khairullah (GK), Aqhari Abdullah, Arshad Shamim.

Young Lions: Nurshafiq Zainal (GK), Sahffee Jubpre (Amer Hakeem 79’), Jacob Mahler (C), Syed Akmal, Shahib Masnawi, Nur Adam Abdullah, Amirul Haikal (Bill Mamadou 89’), Idraki Adnan, Zamani Zamri, Marc Ryan Tan (Irfan Najeeb 60’), Khairin Naidim.
Unused subs: Ridhwan Fikri (GK), Danish Irfan.

 

Cheetahs lacking the bite
Tanjong Pagar 0-0 Hougang | Jurong East | 1 November

With key forward Sahil Suhaimi ruled out of the rest of the campaign due to injury, Hougang struggled to find the cutting edge upfront as they failed to build on the surprise 2-1 win over Tampines two weeks ago. In a game littered with petty fouls and late challenges, neither side really troubled the goalkeepers too much – bar Shahfiq Ghani drawing a save from Kenji Rusydi through his first-half free-kick. Tanjong Pagar upped the tempo after the introduction of Luiz Junior and Suria Prakash to no avail, while Cheetahs substitute Naufal Azman was denied by a stunning last-ditch intervention by Jaguars captain Delwinder Singh four minutes into stoppage time.

 

Facts

• This is the first goal-less draw of the season.
• Tanjong Pagar failed to record a shot on target in the game.
• The last goal-less draw Hougang were involved in was in July 2017 away against Balestier Khalsa.
• Both sides kept their first clean sheets.
• In fact this is Hougang’s first shutout in 13 competitive outings in all competitions since a 2-0 defeat of Home United in September 2019.
• Kenji Rusydi kept a clean sheet for the first time in nine games.
• Tanjong Pagar are still waiting for their first win since defeating Harimau Muda B 5-0 in October 2014.

 

Tanjong Pagar: Kenji Rusydi (GK), Delwinder Singh (C), Yann Motta, Syabil Hisham (Luiz Junior 55’), Takahiro Tanaka, Ammirul Emmran, Suhairi Sabri, Raihan Rahman, Shodai Nishikawa, Nashrul Amin (Suria Prakash 60’), Zulkiffli Hassim.
Unused subs: Joey Sim (GK), Farihin Farkhan, Hadiputradila Saswadimata, Ribiyanda Saswadimata, Elfy Danish.

Hougang: Ridhuan Barudin (GK), Nazrul Nazari, Anders Aplin, Lionel Tan, Zachary Anderson, Hafiz Sujad, Nikesh Singh (Afiq Noor 58’), Charlie Machell, Muhaimin Suhaimi (Shawal Anuar 48’), Farhan Zulkifli (Naufal Azman 84’), Shahfiq Ghani.
Unused subs: Khairulhin Khalid (GK), Maksat Dzhakybaliev, Fabian Kwok, Faiz Salleh.

 

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