Written by: Aysha Ridzuan

Tampines Rovers were made to work hard for three points after coming from behind to defeat 10-men Warriors FC 4-2 at Jurong West Stadium in the Great Eastern Yeo’s S.League on Saturday night.

The Stags had opened the scoring through Billy Mehmet, but Hafiz Nor equalised for the Warriors minutes later before Ridhuan Muhammad gave the visitors the lead just before half-time.

Warriors were then reduced to 10-men early in the second-half after custodian Yazid Yasin was sent off for bringing down Fazrul Nawaz in the 18-yard box.

Jermaine Pennant then sent the resulting penalty past substitute goalkeeper Zainol Gulam, before Hafiz Sujad netted a brace to seal the win for Tampines.

The win for Tampines means that they remain second in the league table, while this was

The hosts started the game well and registered their first shot on target with only seven minute on the clock when Izzdin Shafiq’s piledriver was tipped by on to the crossbar by Yazid.

Nikola Rak was next to be denied by the woodwork when his fierce drive from 30-yards out in the 16th minute beat Stags custodian Izwan Mahbud, but not the frame of the goal.

The Stags came close to breaking the deadlock again five minutes later when Mehmet met Ismadi Muhktar’s cross, but the former sent his header wide of the mark.

Christopher van Huizen was next to try his luck for the Stags when his cross-shot from the left flank rocked the goalpost.

Van Huizen’s next attempt in the 38th minute had more accuracy as his low cross into the box was met by Mehmet and the striker slided the ball home to open the scoring for the Stags.

However, the visitors responded immediately when to Hafiz Nor got onto the end of Jonathan Behe’s defence-splitting pass three minutes before the break and fired the ball into the back of the net.

Warriors then went ahead for the first time in the game when Ridhuan took advantage of a defensive lapse in the Stags’ defence and sent the ball past Izwan.

The tide then turned in Tampines’ favour 10 minutes into the second period when Yazid was shown a straight red card by referee Farhad Mohd after the veteran was adjudged to have brought down Nazrul.

Hafiz Osman was subsequently sacrificed for Zainol and the latter’s first order of business was picking the ball out of the net after guessing the wrong way for Pennant’s spot-kick.

Despite having to play with one man less, Warriors continued to adopt an attacking approach. However, it backfired when Hafiz Sujad’s low shot found the back of the net to give the hosts the lead again in the 75th minute.

Hafiz then scored his second goal of the night three minutes from time after his strike at goal from 20-yards out took a deflection off Hafsyar Farkhan before finding the back of the net to complete the Stags’ comeback.

Tampines Rovers coach V.Sundramoorthy: “It was a tough game. Any game is not easy. I think after we scored in the first half, we switched off in the last seven minutes before the break. That’s when we got punished.

“We played well in the first half an hour. We kept the ball well but we were clearly missing Jordan Webb and Jermaine Pennant in the build up. And when Pennant came in he made difference.”

Warriors coach Jorg Steinebrunner: “Tampines is a good team, nobody is denying that. But when you’re 1-0 down and then we came back to score two good goals and then to lose one player it’s hard to accept.

“In the second half we did well. Because of the sent off you have to change our team formation. But we continue to create chances until the end.”

Tampines Rovers FC: Izwan Mahbud (GK), Ismadi Mukhtar, Mustafic Fahrudin (C), Shakir Hamzah, Yasir Hanapi (Irwan Shah 71’), Christopher van Huizen (Jermaine Pennant 46’), Shahdan Sulaiman, Izzdin Shafiq, Hafiz Abu Sujad, Fazrul Nawaz (Sufian Anuar 61’), Billy Mehmet

Warriors FC: Yazid Yasin (GK), Zulfadli Zainal (C), Kento Fukuda, Madhu Mohana, Hafiz Osman (Zainol Gulam 53’), Emmeric Ong (Hafiz Rahim 77’), Poh Yi Feng, Hafiz Nor, Ridhuan Muhammad (Hafsyar Farkhan 71’), Nikola Rak, Jonathan Behe