Written by: Dwayne James

Brunei DPMM FC returned to winning ways in the Great Eastern Yeo’s S.League after a hard fought 3-2 win over Hougang United FC at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.

The hosts dominated the opening half and opened up a two-goal lead with goals from Paulo Sergio and Azwan Ali Rahman.

However, it was game on after Stipe Plazibat and Jozef Kaplan netted within the span of five minutes early in the second half.

Substitute Shahrazen Said scored the winner late on to give Brunei DPMM FC maximum points for the first time in four matches.

The defending champions almost got in front just 35 seconds into the match after Sergio struck a fierce shot from inside the box but it was saved by Hougang goalkeeper Khairulhin Khalid.

At the other end, Plazibat poked the ball just wide from inside the six-yard box in the second minute.

Brunei DPMM FC broke the deadlock in the ninth minute after Azwan Ali sent a cross from the left to the far post and was headed home by Sergio.

They doubled their lead in the 25th minute just after Plazibat was stretchered off the pitch for treatment just moments earlier.

Sergio played a good pass to send Azwan Ali through on goal and he made no mistake to bulge the net.

Rafael Ramazotti connected a Sergio cross in the 37th minute but couldn’t place it on target.

Azwan Salleh was on target from inside the box in the 42nd minute but only fired straight to Khairulhin.

DPMM had two chances in the 51st minute with Azwan Salleh denied by the post and Ramazotti had his header saved by Khairulhin.

Hougang pulled one back four minutes later with Plazibat scoring off a direct freekick from 25 yards out.

They should have equalised two minutes later but Iqbal Hussain couldn’t keep his shot down from 12 yards out.

Khairulhin kept out Sergio’s shot in the 58th minute and immediately at the other end Kaplan squeezed in between two defenders to get to the ball before putting it past Wardun for his first goal of the season to make it 2-2.

Both sides had their chances but it was Brunei DPMM FC who regained the lead in the 82nd minute after Sergio delivered a ball into the box from the right for Shahrazen to control and fire past Khairulhin.

The Cheetahs should have levelled again in the 85th minute but Plazibat couldn’t place his header from 10 yards out on target.

The hosts could have killed off the game three minutes later but Ramazotti missed from point black range.

M. Anumanthan should have done better in the first minute of stoppage time but fired over from the edge of the box.

DPMM almost added more icing on the cake late into stoppage time after a good one-two by Sergio and Rafa to see the latter put the ball into the net only to be flagged for offside.

 

Brunei DPMM FC coach Steve Kean: “It is not a beautiful second-half by any stretch of imagination, but I would rather have that than play fantastic and draw or play fantastic and lose again.

“We played fantastic against Albirex (Niigata (S)) and Geylang (International) and got nothing so maybe this is a big turning point to play ugly and get the points.”

Hougang United FC coach K Balagumaran: “I thought it was brilliant when (Jozef) Kaplan scored the equaliser for his first goal of the season. We celebrated so much and I thought this is his time.

“We wanted to keep this scoreline to make it more positive especially for Kaplan as he has been training so hard. We were looking to go back in a happy mood from down 2-0 and came back, but it did not work out.”

Brunei DPMM FC: Wardun Yussof (GK), Brian McLean, Azwan Salleh (Md Hendra Azam Md Idris 64’), Azwan Ali Rahman (Shahrazen Said 64’), Paulo Sergio, Najib Tarif, Maududi Kasmi, Rosmin Kamis (C), Helmi Zambin, Rafael Ramazotti, Yura Indera Putera

Hougang United FC: Khairulhin Khalid (GK), Yusiskandar Yusop, Fairoz Hasan (Iqbal Hussain 54’), M Anumanthan, Jozef Kaplan (C), Stipe Plazibat, Nur Na’iim Ishak (Huzaifah Aziz 81’), Nazrul Nazari, Raihan Rahman, Faiz Salleh, Nurhilmi Jasni (Afiq Noor 70’)