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Geylang United recorded three points in their book on home turf once again with a 2-0 win over Tanjong Pagar United at Bedok Stadium on Monday night.
Goals from Adrian Dhanaraj and Masrezwan Masturi did the job for the Eagles, who rose to seventh spot in the league table, albeit having played one more game than Hougang United and Balestier Khalsa, who have matches later in the week.
The home side dominated for long periods, with the Jaguars rarely able to make a worthwhile attempt in the final third of the field.
It was certainly not for want for trying, but the mood of the Tanjong Pagar players could not have been worse after Dhanaraj opened the scoring with just three minutes gone.
Masrezwan, a surprise entry in the starting eleven following repeated knee complaints, was the architect of the move.
Picking up the ball, the Singapore international squared it down the line into the box to strike partner Jung Hee Bong. The Korean then laid it off back to the oncoming Dhanaraj, who drove in to give the home side an early lead.
It was the dream start Geylang coach Mike Wong had wished for, knowing how badly hit his side had been hit by a slew of injuries and suspensions.
But Masrezwan, himself one of the walking wounded who refused to stay in the treatment room, added his name to the scoresheet seven minutes before the break, nodding down a Syed Fadhil cross to double the Eagles’ lead with Tanjong Pagar goalkeeper Ridhuan Barudin coming out too late to prevent the shot.
Wong later revealed he was grateful for Masrezwan’s involvement in the game, after he was reduced to naming five Prime League players on his bench.
“I actually didn’t want to use Masrezwan, because he was still carrying the injury,” he told sleague.com.
“But I spoke to him this morning, and he told me he’s okay, he wants to play for the team. And I only had Rizawan (Abdullah) and a young defender (Mubarak Ahamad) on my bench, the rest were all Prime League boys.
“The last six weeks or so, we have been facing problems with injuries, suspensions, everything affecting who I can put in the team. Now we have nine days before our next game, maybe Masrezwan and the other players can recover.”
Having put themselves in a relatively secure position, the Eagles slowed things down considerably in the second half.
The Jaguars then found some space, and minutes after the interval, Takaya Kawanabe managed to let fly from distance with a shot that was not too far away from Yazid Yasin’s goal.
Kim Jong Oh then forced his way into the opposition box on 72 minutes, but lost his balance amidst a sea of green, allowing for easy collection by Yazid, who was relatively untested all night.
Geylang’s Jung could have made it 3-0 for the hosts, connecting with a cross from Shah Hirul close to the goalkeeper, but lacked accuracy in his finish.
While the second half turned out largely uneventful, one incident stood out like a sore thumb on 82 minutes.
Dhanaraj, who had earlier received a booking for a heavy challenge, was given his marching orders for a late lunge on Kawanabe, sparking a minor commotion on the field as teammates fearing the worst tried to dissuade referee W. Ravisanthiran from reaching into his pocket.
Yet even with the numerical deficit, Geylang faced few problems in the closing minutes as Tanjong Pagar’s forays into their half lacked direction.
Towards stoppage time, Kim Jae Hong even surged strongly down the left flank for the Eagles, but his cross was deflected out for a harmless corner.
Having clinched another win and a first clean sheet since their 2-0 victory over SAFFC in February, Wong praised his team’s performance for the evening, though he had some reservations about the sending-off.
“We got the early goals and a comfortable lead, and the boys were content to sit back and protect it,” said Wong.
“But I don’t know if it was the right decision to award Adrian a yellow (for the second foul), as the opposing player had clearly dived. It’s not the right thing to do, trying to get an opponent sent off just because he’s already on a yellow, and I hope that’s not what the player was trying to do.
“Maybe the referee shouldn’t be giving this kind of card. But I won’t question the referee’s decision, that’s not the point.”
Meanwhile, Tanjong Pagar coach Terry Pathmanathan singled out lack of experience and technical know-how as reasons for his team’s loss.
“We have done all this preparation during training and team talks, but when the players go onto the pitch, they do all the wrong things,” said the former national skipper.
“It’s the same kind of goals we have been conceding all the time, and it’s not just a matter of focus. Their reading of the game is simply not there.”
He however noted that his team had indeed improved steadily from the beginning, and it would only be a matter of time before they get the hang of things at this level.
“It will take a while before all this training will start to sink in and become a natural instinct (on the field).”
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