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Tanjong Pagar United had only managed two goals from their first eleven games this season, but against Singapore Armed Forces FC at Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday night, the Jaguars matched that tally in the space of 90 minutes.
Not only that, the goals were enough for them to grab an unlikely point with a 2-2 draw.
The point might have been only their third of the season, but it was enough to lift them off the foot of the table for the first time in a long while.
Incidentally, one of Tanjong Pagar’s two goals before the match had come against SAFFC as well, in a 1-2 defeat way back in February.
This time around, the S.League re-debutants came incredibly close to shocking the Warriors into defeat, before settling for a well-earned point.
Showing no sign of their earlier nervous disposition, which had plagued the team in their numerous earlier defeats, like the five-goal reverse at the hands of Hougang United in their last match two weeks ago, the Jaguars started this match in good stead.
SAFFC were prevented from controlling the game despite an attacking lineup that boasted Mislav Karoglan and Indra Sahdan Daud up front, and while the match was evenly balanced from the beginning, Tanjong Pagar looked the likelier to break the deadlock.
Ganesan Devadas so nearly did that when he stayed onside and ran on to a through ball at full speed before wastefully hitting straight at Shahril Jantan.
But it was SAFFC who took the lead against the run of play on 26 minutes. Karoglan, who had been quietly threatening on his own, picked up a straight pass from Shaiful Esah and then held off his markers to place a carefully-aimed shot into the back of the net.
Just after Ivan Jerkovic fired agonisingly wide nearing the break to pass on a chance to double his team’s lead, however, Hyun Jong Woon popped up with an eye-catching strike that stunned all in attendance.
Picking up a loose ball some 45 yards out, the Korean launched a hopeful volley at goal. The shot caught Shahril off guard and cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and over the line, sending Tanjong Pagar off level at the break, much to the disbelief of the Warriors.
SAFFC’s woes did not end there, however, as just three minutes after the restart Razaleigh Khalik sent the ball past his own goalkeeper to hand the cellar-dwellers a come-from-behind lead, the first time they had found themselves in such a position all season.
The defender inexplicably headed a harmless cross from Arisman Arman back across the face of goal and into the bottom far corner, completely wrongfooting Shahril, who was not entirely devoid of blame, having been slow to react to the header from the fringes of the penalty area.
Tanjong Pagar looked threatening on the counter as Richard Bok pushed his men forward in search of a desperately-needed equaliser, but the Jaguars frontline were never quite able to connect in the final third and seriously test the Warriors custodian.
Indra did however manage to level the score with just over twenty minutes of regulation time left. Pouncing on a poorly-defended cross, the former Singapore international finished off in his typical poacher’s style, hitting a low hard shot from the centre of the penalty box.
Despite needing a win to close the gap on league leaders Tampines Rovers, who started the night with an eight-point lead on them, the desperate introduction of Erwan Gunawan and Fazrul Nawaz minutes later to bolster the frontline did little to help SAFFC’s cause.
Fazrul’s enthusiasm nearly provided a chance for Karoglan to snatch a winner, but the Croatian’s effort from close range was cleverly blocked by Ridhuan Barudin.
The former Tampines custodian was in impressive form to keep his team in the game, doing well to deny Mustaqim Manzur’s powerful header moments earlier.
When Ridhuan looked beaten, the Tanjong Pagar defenders, who had compacted into the penalty box to preserve their point, were there to block all efforts, notably one from Jerkovic, who had timed his run perfectly to get onto another teasing ball from Fazrul.
But with all means exhuasted, SAFFC settled for a disappointing draw as the Jaguars celebrated a priceless point that, despite coming against all odds, was well-deserved.
Tanjong Pagar coach Terry Pathmanathan was however quick to play down the impact of the game.
“Temporarily we might be off the bottom, But I don’t think I want to put myself or the team under pressure,” he said quickly when it was pointed out that his players were off the foot of the table and were coming up against the new bottom-placed team, Woodlands Wellington, on Tuesday.
“The important thing is that they maintain and improve on the performance. They have to start moving up (the field) and improve on their fitness, because the last ten minutes, one by one they were falling down.”
But the former national team captain was not without praise for his boys.
“I was quite pleased. I thought if we had minimised the mistakes we could have actually won the game, because we were attacking quite well,” he remarked.
“With Taka (Kawanabe) and Hyun and Ganesan coming in, they were quite decent against their backline. I was quite surprised their backline was disorganised. They were giving us a lot of space with Taka and Ganesan running in.”
Needless to say, given the poor performance of his team, SAFFC’s Bok was visibly despondent when explaining his team’s showing.
“I think we had a sloppy first half, although we took the lead, it was sloppy,” said the three-time MIKASA Coach of the Year in a hushed tone.
“We were very lethargic, we didn’t move the ball fast enough. The players were trying to do something that we don’t usually do.
“In the second half we came out quite well, but I think the own goal did us in. We fought and fought and got an equaliser, but I thought we deserved at least another goal. But it doesn’t come, even right in front of goal someone blocks it.”
Given the evidently lacklustre performance of his team, Bok was still at a loss for words, unable to explain the startling loss in form and the lack of passion in one of the most feared and highly-decorated teams in domestic football.
Reflecting on the dramatic change, the 41-year-old remained hopeful things would turn around with 21 league matches left to play, even if he was uncertain where to start the process.
“It is difficult to tell you how, I really don’t know how,” he said, his face showing a mix of concern and vexation.
“When we played Home (United in April and won 2-0) there was a lot of fire and desire, so I don’t know. Maybe that’s what I have to try and find out now.”
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