4-star DPMM FC go top

From DPMM FC

DPMM FC moved to the summit of the S-League after a seemingly convincing 4-1 win over Geylang last night, jumping five places and becoming the first team to break the 10-point barrier.

Though on paper the match agaunst the basement dwellers wasn't meant to trouble the team, it proved to be a different story - especially the visitors promisingly powered forward after pulling back to 2-1 with a Josef Kaplan penalty on the hour mark.

But weathering the storm, DPMM wouls add to their advantage with season-first goals from centreback Tales Ricarte dos Santos and substitute Helmi Zambin, the latter's 90th minute ensuring all three points at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.

Their third win in four games, the ever-confident Vjeran Simunic was in a buoyant mood after the match.

"Absolutely! I feel we deserve to be on top," said the DPMM coach.

"Its like in Formula 1- we are now in pole position.I'm happy that we could one day be leading the league.

"The game is nothing surprising for me.I said it would be dangerous at 2-0 and a little mistake made it 2-1 ... But thats football," shrugged the Croatian.

With a 2-0 lead at the break, complacency started to creep into DPMM FC's game in the second half - with the "little mistake" coming when dos Santoas gave the ball away to an onrushing Michael King and brought the former Burnlwy player down on the box.

The Eagles would soar forward bolstered by the well-taken penalty, but King's 71st shot with his back to goal was the best opportunity they would get to even the scores - with Geylang failing to trouble goalkeeper Wardun Yusof for the rest of the match.

Sharazen opened the scoring in the 23rd minute but Ghanaian striker Osman Bashiru did all the hard work.

Dribbling past three defenders on the left, he smashed a shot that bounced off the left post but was met with a half-volley from Shahrazen - the fan favouritepicking up his second goal of the season.

Capping off an encouraging combination on attacks from all three of DPMM forwards, the free-flowing second goalwas bound to pun on a smile to Simunic's face - where once again the team were able to exploit space on the left.

Shahrazen evaded his markers and squared the ball to Brazilain Rodrigo Grahl - who wisely laid it off to Bashiru.

Riffling the ball to the top of the net,his third in four games has now made him the team's top-scorer.

"I was confident I would score," grinned Basiru after the game."I think I have been getting better every game...I need to help the club," added the 23-year old hitman.

Dos Santos brought the team back from their second halfwhen the Brazilian headed home a pin-point freekick from Croatian midfielder Ivan Jerkovic in the 78th minute, and Simunic's decision to replace the ineffective Grahl for Helmi in the 84th minute paid off when the dimunitive 25-year old headed in his own rebound after searching a cross-field pass from midfielder Azwan Salleh.