Wilson (GK)
Shafi - Akim - Fazli - Saidi
Omar - Rahman - Helmi - Farhan
Kelvin - Hafiz
Subs:
Firdaus Masdar
Huang
Syafiq
p49 w17 d11 l21 f103 a126
Shafi - Akim - Fazli - Saidi
Omar - Rahman - Helmi - Farhan
Kelvin - Hafiz
Subs:
Firdaus Masdar
Huang
Syafiq
p49 w17 d11 l21 f103 a126
I am not sure what to make of this match. On the one hand, I felt we have lost narrowly to much stronger opponents before and that this particular opponents were a similar standard as us. On the other hand, I was surprised that we failed to work for one another on the pitch today and that overall, we were very naive and failed to play above ourselves.
I guess the disappointment of losing, not to mention by a quite deceivingly one-sided scoreline, fizzled out midway through the 2nd half when they scored their 3rd goal. I remembered that it was probably about then that I had a feeling we were never going to score no matter how many shots we sprayed, perhaps literally at times, at the opponents GK.
We started brightly indeed and that may be only because our opponents started with 9 men. In the opening minutes, Kelvin had a fantastic chance to score from Farhan's corner but his header glanced agonizingly wide to hit the goal-post and out. An early goal would have settled some early nerves but little did we realise that we were in for a long morning instead.
Our opponents, donned in spectacular pink jerseys were already getting the hang of the pace of the game quicker than us and they were building their own rhythm much more rapidly than us whereas we were passing the ball well but probably passing it a bit slower than we should as our players' off-the-ball-movement were sometimes not in support for the man with the ball. As Rahman would later say, we were getting a bit too predictable, standing around waiting for the ball instead of moving away to receive it to elude their markers. At times, all their defenders needed to do was to just stand and clear the ball away as our passing sometimes landed at their feet, or heads, when we again failed to win the high balls.
As they added one man to their team, they had a corner of their own. Unfortunately, a powerful header was instinctively cleared off the goal-line by Shafi's hands. The striker did well to despatch the spot-kick right in the bottom corner of the net.
It was 2-0 later when a quick counter-attack found their man wide out on our left flank. As he ghosted past our defence on the edge of the penalty area, he delivered a good cross at the back post and our tormentor of the game, their No.7, was able to head across goal into the net.
Not to say we were not creating chances of our own. But our shots were sometimes far and away, and Omar's crosses were cleared easily too. Syafiq had a chance from a free-kick but we went into the break 2-0 down anyway.
After the restart, we were still positive of getting a result, at least I was. Our opponents opted to sit back but when they do break down our attack, they moved forward to initiate their own attack with precise passing, understanding and patience but still ghosting past our defence with relative ease. It was just a matter of time before our porous defence would concede, we really missed the sick Imran today, if our opponents wanted to be more clinical but they were not going to punish us and allowed us to play the game instead.
We had even more chances in the 2nd half but then they scored their 3rd goal from a free-kick.
Farhan would later struck the post, the 2nd time in the match the post denied us, while various shots from in and out of the box were off target, and when they were on target, they were dealt with by the combination of good defending and safe goalkeeping. But to put it simply, we simply could not score, no matter how much we tried.
Our opponents were good for their win with a bonus 4th goal which I failed to witness.
It was a case of one team turning up today while the other did not.
I guess the disappointment of losing, not to mention by a quite deceivingly one-sided scoreline, fizzled out midway through the 2nd half when they scored their 3rd goal. I remembered that it was probably about then that I had a feeling we were never going to score no matter how many shots we sprayed, perhaps literally at times, at the opponents GK.
We started brightly indeed and that may be only because our opponents started with 9 men. In the opening minutes, Kelvin had a fantastic chance to score from Farhan's corner but his header glanced agonizingly wide to hit the goal-post and out. An early goal would have settled some early nerves but little did we realise that we were in for a long morning instead.
Our opponents, donned in spectacular pink jerseys were already getting the hang of the pace of the game quicker than us and they were building their own rhythm much more rapidly than us whereas we were passing the ball well but probably passing it a bit slower than we should as our players' off-the-ball-movement were sometimes not in support for the man with the ball. As Rahman would later say, we were getting a bit too predictable, standing around waiting for the ball instead of moving away to receive it to elude their markers. At times, all their defenders needed to do was to just stand and clear the ball away as our passing sometimes landed at their feet, or heads, when we again failed to win the high balls.
As they added one man to their team, they had a corner of their own. Unfortunately, a powerful header was instinctively cleared off the goal-line by Shafi's hands. The striker did well to despatch the spot-kick right in the bottom corner of the net.
It was 2-0 later when a quick counter-attack found their man wide out on our left flank. As he ghosted past our defence on the edge of the penalty area, he delivered a good cross at the back post and our tormentor of the game, their No.7, was able to head across goal into the net.
Not to say we were not creating chances of our own. But our shots were sometimes far and away, and Omar's crosses were cleared easily too. Syafiq had a chance from a free-kick but we went into the break 2-0 down anyway.
After the restart, we were still positive of getting a result, at least I was. Our opponents opted to sit back but when they do break down our attack, they moved forward to initiate their own attack with precise passing, understanding and patience but still ghosting past our defence with relative ease. It was just a matter of time before our porous defence would concede, we really missed the sick Imran today, if our opponents wanted to be more clinical but they were not going to punish us and allowed us to play the game instead.
We had even more chances in the 2nd half but then they scored their 3rd goal from a free-kick.
Farhan would later struck the post, the 2nd time in the match the post denied us, while various shots from in and out of the box were off target, and when they were on target, they were dealt with by the combination of good defending and safe goalkeeping. But to put it simply, we simply could not score, no matter how much we tried.
Our opponents were good for their win with a bonus 4th goal which I failed to witness.
It was a case of one team turning up today while the other did not.