Written by: Phoon Jia Hui

Warriors FC went four points clear of Brunei DPMM at the top of the Great Eastern Yeo’s S.League standings, after beating Tampines Rovers 2-1 at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium on Thursday evening.

However, Warriors coach Alex Weaver insisted the title race was far from over and that his side will have to hope that DPMM – who have two games in hand – slip up.

“The ball is still in their [DPMM] court, they just need to win their games and because they have got the games in hand so there is a little bit of pressure on them. They know they can’t slip up,” Weaver observed.

“We’ve done very well today. Our players have dealt with the situation exceptionally. We have talked about thinking correctly under pressure a lot throughout the season focusing on what we can control and they have done that very well recently.”

Praising the team spirit at the club, Weaver was however hopeful they can go all the way now.

“I have been talking about going on a run for a while haven’t I?” he quipped.

“I’m hoping this is it. We have got a little bit of momentum right now, and so hopefully we can finish the season on a high against Albirex. Again we are relying on other people and that’s a situation I don’t like.”

Agu Casmir got his name on the scoresheet with a scorcher from distance to cancel out Noh Alam Shah’s opener, and Weaver was full of praise for the mid-season signing.

“I knew he was going to be one at the top corner when I signed him,” he enthused.

“With a player like him, he’s capable of that, he does it in training. One of his qualities is that he’s quite unpredictable and the opposition don’t really know what’s going to happen, sometimes I don’t know what’s going to happen and he’s pulled that one out.

Despite the defeat which all but ended their hopes of retaining the title for the fourth straight year, Tampines coach Rafi Ali was still pleased with the way his charges set out to play.

“Everything has to come to an end, most important thing today is the boys played their hearts out,” Rafi said.

“We started off very good, early goal from Alam Shah, he was fantastic. The equaliser was scored, but it is done, we have been playing consistently now and hope we learn from there. After the mistake we did very well, working hard, going forward.

“The second goal that they scored [through Miroslav Pejic] was a beauty, nobody in the world could have saved that goal so they are deserving winners.”

Looking back at the season, Rafi was proud of what his team have managed to achieve especially when they were ‘nine or twelve points adrift’ of the top of the standings.

“When I took over the team, I had to face Albirex, Warriors and Home United. I don’t think anyone would come and take the team in this state,” he added.

“I’m a fighter, I’m a loyal servant to Tampines Rovers, the players and I fought together. Today’s the day we played brilliantly and lost. We played brilliantly against Home United and Balestier but it was not enough.”

“My focus is only this season and look to the end of the season. Whatever happens in the future, that’s later. I haven’t seen my boss so my job is just now to the end of the season.  I’ve got two more games to go after that we can talk and see how it goes.”