A. Ong
info@sleague.com
SAFFC survived a second-half fightback from Hougang United to triumph 2-1 at Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday evening, leapfrogging Tampines Rovers to the top of the S.League standings.
2-1 could very nearly have been 2-2, however, as Jordan Webb spurned a glorious chance in the last minute to add to his well-taken header earlier on 74 minutes, after finding himself through on goal from Mamadou Diallo’s lofted pass.
The Canadian winger seemed to have far too much time for his own good, and he wastefully fumbled the ball over the touchline to the dismay of the vocal Hougang fans.
“Yes, we could have snatched it at the end when Webb went through,” rued Hougang head coach Aide Iskandar.
“But I have to give credit to the boys. They performed well, and we scored a good goal. It’s just unfortunate that we couldn’t get a second.”
That inability to breach the SAFFC goal a second time meant that first-half goals from Bah Mamadou and Taisuke Akiyoshi were sufficient to hand all three points to the designated away team on the night.
The first of those goals came after just four minutes of action, as an unmarked Mamadou produced a striker’s finish, volleying home a clipped cross from Ivan Jerkovic off a short corner.
Hougang’s bad start to the match nearly got worse on 17 minutes, after Mislav Karoglan’s delightful backheel sent Akiyoshi scampering away into the Cheetahs’ penalty area.
However, the Japanese midfielder could only drag his shot wide when faced with Hougang goalkeeper Fadhil Salim.
Hougang’s main threat came from free kicks won around the area, though playmaker Carlos Delgado’s deliveries were met mostly by SAFFC heads rather than those of a teammate.
Captain Shariff Abdul Samat’s inventive flick, which went high over the crossbar, was but one exception on 35 minutes.
By then, Aide had already made a tactical switch in bringing on utility man Syaqir Sulaiman for leftback Duncan David Elias, in a bid to thwart the threat posed by the Warriors down that flank.
So it was with a hint of cruelty that the second SAFFC goal came down that side of the field just as half-time beckoned.
Jerkovic found himself unattended on the Warriors right flank, and another of his unerring crosses found the head of the waiting Karoglan.
The Croat’s downward header was superbly parried by Fadhil, but Akiyoshi made no mistake from close range with the rebound. The goal came with literally seconds left in the half, capping off a miserable 45 minutes for the Cheetahs.
“The defending was awful,” said Aide, famed as a player for his work at the back.
“I told the boys that they can’t defend like that. Against the bigger teams, you have to stay focused at all times.”
It was perhaps not that big a surprise when the second half started with Hougang looking the more adventurous of the two teams, and the Warriors seemingly happy to sit back on their lead.
The lead was soon under threat, with Fazli Jaffar’s low cross on 55 minutes perfect in every way, except for the fact that no one was waiting in the six-yard box to convert the chance.
At times the trailing team produced some delightful interplay, with Delgado at the heart of almost every move. One raking pass from the Argentine found Fazli clear of the last defender on 71 minutes, but he dallied long enough for the recovering Hafiz Osman to clear the ball to safety.
Three minutes later, Hougang would finally find reward for their endeavours. Faizal Amir’s right-wing cross found Webb at the far post, and his header powered past Shahril Jantan to halve the deficit and set up an interesting end to the game.
At this time Hougang could have used more firepower up front, but Shariff coming down with cramps meant that Aide was forced into a defensive swap, instead of introducing striker Diego Gama de Oliveira for the final stretch of the game.
Alas for the Cheetahs, both time and Webb’s ball control at the death were not on their side, and SAFFC were left celebrating a hard-earned three points.
“The most satisfaction gotten today is from getting the three points,” remarked Warriors head coach Richard Bok.
“Hougang made it very tough, but I must give credit to my defence. We were always able to stop them at the last moment!”
This was his team’s third win on the trot, and it puts them on top of the league standings by one point, at least until Sunday, when Tampines play their next game.
Still, it is a position that Bok is happy to be in.
“Yes, it’s good we’ve won three in a row. It’s important to put pressure on Tampines, even though they haven’t played yet,” pointed out Bok.
This run of good form puts SAFFC in good stead for their upcoming games, which certainly do not get any easier. Up next for them are reigning league champions Etoile FC, which will be the next live game at Jalan Besar in one week’s time.
Hougang at least will be able to return to the comforts of home soil for their next game. Fifth-placed Albirex Niigata (Singapore) visit the Hougang Stadium in just three days’ time, so Aide and his charges will have little time to mull over this latest defeat.
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