Wilson (GK)
Shahid - Akim - Firul - Omar
Syaifudean - Azman - Farhan - Rafeeq
Syafiq
Huang
Subs:
Rahman
Fazli
Kelvin
Scorers:
Huang
Syafiq
p38 w12 d9 l17 f81 a105
Shahid - Akim - Firul - Omar
Syaifudean - Azman - Farhan - Rafeeq
Syafiq
Huang
Subs:
Rahman
Fazli
Kelvin
Scorers:
Huang
Syafiq
p38 w12 d9 l17 f81 a105
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To be honest, I was disappointed with the two late-comers today despite the game timing being so late in the morning. Nevertheless, we had to adapt which meant Omar starting his first game at left back and Dean starting on the right flank.
Do not be fooled by the win because we truly rode on our luck and took advantage of the opponents' complacency and charity for not punishing us to win this game.
On the other side of the coin though, the two goals we scored were of the highest quality and could win any match. Take into account our opponents' soft goal plus they were not creating that much chances either as Wilson could testify by watching shots flying past his goal regularly rather than towards him.
It was early in the game when an opponent shot from outside the box bounced straight down the middle and under Wilson, who had done well to get down actually, but he was picking the ball out of his net for a 1-0 deficit.
The rest of the half saw a lacklustre red-shirted team truly devoid of inspiration and creativity and perhaps the most important factor today, the drive in central midfield. No discredit to Azman, he competently screened our midfield to a certain extent and Farhan is not a natural central midfielder, but the opponents' were simply too overwhelming a force to overcome with players that could dribble and play their way in the middle of the park. Needless to say, the midfield battle was lost from the first whistle with players such as Helmi, Amin and Azhari all not able to play and Rahman was late.
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We tried to change things around midway in the 1st half, with Fazli, Rahman and Kelvin all coming on for Shahid, Azman and Huang. Syaifudean took his customary striker role, Omar moved to right mid, Firul replaced him and Rahman adopting the midfield general role. I was just hoping for the half time whistle to blow to properly regroup and take stock of the disposal of the players at hand.
At the break, I just looked around and tried to fix the jigsaw puzzle and find ways to improve our team motivation and perhaps confidence to try take the game to the opponents.
Knowing full well our opponents' strength in the middle of the park, I opted for Fazli to play alongside Azman while Firul himself tried to give even more encouragement to the team by promising to run the pitch in his knickers should we win 2-1 in the 2nd half.
Not that things immediately improved after the restart, my poor goal-kicks were often a source of personal consternation and frustration as the opponents immediately won the ball back, overcoming even our most powerful aerial player in Fazli and launched counter-attacks time and again to the point that Firul took turns taking the goal-kicks which he fared better.
But still the opponents kept coming.
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They resorted to long range shots which as mentioned, flew past Wilson's goal more often than not, as they simply decided to not be ruthless and kill off the game. It was unlikely they were tired; they had up to 4 players in our own box at times waiting for that killer cross to be delivered. Our defence did our part to clear them away but our midfield were not doing their part to shield the ball and initiate our own attacks, as shown in video footage.
It was not till late in the game, the last quarter perhaps, when we finally had a stroke of good fortune when Huang struck a sweet first time shot which swerved away from the GK, rooted on his goal-line, for the equalizer.
Farhan had initially started the move, winning a rare battle in midfield with at least 3 of the opponents squaring up to him, and as he probed the ball out wide on the right deep in the opponent half, the ball was played across for a virtually unmarked Huang to score.
The game plodded on with the opponents perhaps a little wary of us to have got the goal in such a sucker punch manner.
We gave them cause to prove their wariness right. Syafiq was fouled badly with a high boot on his head, which the player was subsequently dismissed for, a little harsh perhaps as there was no real malice, and that meant a chance from a distance of about 25 metres out from goal.
Syafiq took charge and his sweetly struck shot straight into the roof of the net which could not be answered by the GK, who was actually replaced for the 2nd half, and we had an unexpected lead. Time was winding down. We were in injury time then.
There were no real chances from the opponents despite sending desperate balls into our box in search of their own equalizer but we were not about to let victory slip away. Final whistle blown.
Oh, yeah, Firul kept his promise and did a lap around the pitch with his knickers on.
Do not be fooled by the win because we truly rode on our luck and took advantage of the opponents' complacency and charity for not punishing us to win this game.
On the other side of the coin though, the two goals we scored were of the highest quality and could win any match. Take into account our opponents' soft goal plus they were not creating that much chances either as Wilson could testify by watching shots flying past his goal regularly rather than towards him.
It was early in the game when an opponent shot from outside the box bounced straight down the middle and under Wilson, who had done well to get down actually, but he was picking the ball out of his net for a 1-0 deficit.
The rest of the half saw a lacklustre red-shirted team truly devoid of inspiration and creativity and perhaps the most important factor today, the drive in central midfield. No discredit to Azman, he competently screened our midfield to a certain extent and Farhan is not a natural central midfielder, but the opponents' were simply too overwhelming a force to overcome with players that could dribble and play their way in the middle of the park. Needless to say, the midfield battle was lost from the first whistle with players such as Helmi, Amin and Azhari all not able to play and Rahman was late.
.jpg)
.jpg)
We tried to change things around midway in the 1st half, with Fazli, Rahman and Kelvin all coming on for Shahid, Azman and Huang. Syaifudean took his customary striker role, Omar moved to right mid, Firul replaced him and Rahman adopting the midfield general role. I was just hoping for the half time whistle to blow to properly regroup and take stock of the disposal of the players at hand.
At the break, I just looked around and tried to fix the jigsaw puzzle and find ways to improve our team motivation and perhaps confidence to try take the game to the opponents.
Knowing full well our opponents' strength in the middle of the park, I opted for Fazli to play alongside Azman while Firul himself tried to give even more encouragement to the team by promising to run the pitch in his knickers should we win 2-1 in the 2nd half.
Not that things immediately improved after the restart, my poor goal-kicks were often a source of personal consternation and frustration as the opponents immediately won the ball back, overcoming even our most powerful aerial player in Fazli and launched counter-attacks time and again to the point that Firul took turns taking the goal-kicks which he fared better.
But still the opponents kept coming.
.jpg)
.jpg)
They resorted to long range shots which as mentioned, flew past Wilson's goal more often than not, as they simply decided to not be ruthless and kill off the game. It was unlikely they were tired; they had up to 4 players in our own box at times waiting for that killer cross to be delivered. Our defence did our part to clear them away but our midfield were not doing their part to shield the ball and initiate our own attacks, as shown in video footage.
It was not till late in the game, the last quarter perhaps, when we finally had a stroke of good fortune when Huang struck a sweet first time shot which swerved away from the GK, rooted on his goal-line, for the equalizer.
Farhan had initially started the move, winning a rare battle in midfield with at least 3 of the opponents squaring up to him, and as he probed the ball out wide on the right deep in the opponent half, the ball was played across for a virtually unmarked Huang to score.
The game plodded on with the opponents perhaps a little wary of us to have got the goal in such a sucker punch manner.
We gave them cause to prove their wariness right. Syafiq was fouled badly with a high boot on his head, which the player was subsequently dismissed for, a little harsh perhaps as there was no real malice, and that meant a chance from a distance of about 25 metres out from goal.
Syafiq took charge and his sweetly struck shot straight into the roof of the net which could not be answered by the GK, who was actually replaced for the 2nd half, and we had an unexpected lead. Time was winding down. We were in injury time then.
There were no real chances from the opponents despite sending desperate balls into our box in search of their own equalizer but we were not about to let victory slip away. Final whistle blown.
Oh, yeah, Firul kept his promise and did a lap around the pitch with his knickers on.
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Rahman & Shyairah - Team Photos/Pictures/Debt collector