Written by: Nigel Chin

Strikers Rodrigo Tosi and Mateo Roskam combined to deadly effect as Tampines Rovers romped to a 5-1 victory over Harimau Muda at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Tosi netted a hat-trick while Roskam recorded a brace, as the Young Tigers struggled to contain the Tampines frontmen. The pair had one assist apiece in the game as well.

It took the Stags just three minutes to open the scoring in the game. Both Alviz and Tosi combined superbly before the latter found Roskam for a near-post finish.

A minute later, Tosi could have doubled the lead after going through, but he was foiled by a superb save from Ramdhan Hamid.

Roskam wasted a chance to double his tally in the fifth minute, this time failing to find the target with just the goalkeeper to beat  after Syawal Nordin’s mistake allowed him to run behind the defence.

But he atoned for that miss five minutes later, this time sending a header off Alviz’s cross into the top corner via the crossbar.

It should have been three in the 21st minute, but Isa Halim saw his curling effort from just outside the box rocking the crossbar instead.

Tampines custodian Rodrigo Pacheco was finally called into action after 31 minutes, with Ridzuan Abdunloh forcing him into a flying save with a volley.

However, there was nothing the custodian could have done to prevent Akhir Bahari’s shot from going in a minute later, having pushed away Adam Nor’s initial shot.

Normal service resumed just seven minutes later though, when the unmarked Tosi nodded in Alviz corner to restore the two-goal lead.

Tosi netted his second of the night five minutes into the second half, lashing a fierce shot off Roskam’s knock-down into the net which Ramdhan could not keep out despite getting his hands to it.

Nine minutes later, the Brazilian completed his first hat-trick for this season – this time heading home the rebound after his initial effort was saved by Ramdhan.

Roskam could have had a hat-trick of his own as well, but he squandered a superb opportunity in the 78th minute following some good combination play with Alviz.

He then headed over Ridhuan Muhamad’s delightful cross under pressure two minutes from time.

With the win, Tampines closed the gap on league leaders Brunei DPMM to seven points with a game in hand still.

Tampines Rovers: Rodrigo Pacheco (GK), Ismadi Mukhtar, Jufri Taha, Fahrudin Mustafic (C), Zulfadli Zainal, Firdaus Idros, Isa Halim (Fabian Kwok 73’), Naeem Rahimi (Aqhari Abdullah 75’), Roberto Alviz, Mateo Roskam, Rodrigo Tosi (Ridhuan Muhamad 80’

Harimau Muda: Ramdhan Hamid (GK), Ashmawi Yakin, Annas Rahmat, Syawal Nordin (Wan Ahmad Zafran 43’), Nazirul Naim Che Hashim, Akhir Bahari, Irfan Zakaria, Amirul Hisyam (Faris Shah 78’), Adam Nor, Ridzuan Abdunloh, S Kumaahran (Syafwan Syahlan 61’)