DPMM FC 3-3 Hougang United: Drama at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium

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Photo Credits: Goal.com Singapore.

 

DPMM FC 3

Shahrazen Said 26′, 61′
Joao Moreira 55′

Hougang United 3

Liam Shotton 42′
Mamadou Diallo 63′
Syaqir Sulaiman 77′

 

It was a game of all sorts. Playing with ten man, saving two penalties and a spirited comeback gained the Cheetahs a point from the dreaded Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, in which they had been battered a year ago.

Memories of the 1-5 defeat at the hands of the Wasps were lingering to majority of the Hougang players, who most of them were part of that unfortunate day.

However, the Cheetahs were not thinking too much about revenge, just play beautiful football like how Coach Alex Weaver had imparted his knowledge during training sessions.

Even though the first twenty five minutes looked like the game was out of reach, Hougang looked calm and also got a few opportunities on the half hour by the combination of Robert Eziakor and Mamadou Diallo, which looked lively on most of the match.

The Cheetahs were down as early as the 26th minute when Rosmin Khamis floated a free kik across the defence. When Fadhil Salim looks the more likely to grab the ball, in comes former Croatian international Ivan Bosnjak to head the ball towards Shahrazen Said, who slotted the ball into an unguarded net.

DPMM looked the more stronger side on the first half, with Portugese Striker Joao Moreira looked increasingly the player whom DPMM could depend to bang in goals. However, Hougang had other ideas.

On 42 minutes, Robert Eziakor, the man whom RTB commentators called the chief tormentor of the DPMM defence broke clear from the midway line and found Mamadou Diallo, who had an opportunity to either score or give back the ball to Eziakor or the unmarked Liam Shotton. However, he slotted the ball ahead of Shotton, who placed the ball past Wardun Yusoff and into the bottom right hand corner of the net.

Where Hougang thought they had opportunites to nick the game, DPMM went strongly and fired a quick five minute salvo in which two balls went past Fadhil Salim and into the net. The second went through Joao Moreira, with Fadhil approaching, decided to dink the ball way above the Hougang custodian and into the gaping net. The third, with a stroke of luck, a backheader from Shahrazen Said, in which Bosnjak again was the provider.

Seems like history’s going to repeat again. However, on 63 minutes, Diallo handed Hougang a lifeline, in which he thunderbolt a freekick 35-yards out, in which Wardun could not get his fingertips on. However, by a stroke of misfortune, DPMM were handed a penalty on 73 minutes.

Tom Beattie manhandled Joao Moreira in the penalty box. However, Fadhil Salim superbly punched out Shahrazen Said’s spotkick, which could be his first hat-trick in the S.League.

The subsequent counter attack by the Cheetahs led to a free kick on the right hand side of DPMM’s right wing. Azhar Sairudin crossed the ball into Syaqir Sulaiman’s path, in which he headed in the equalizer on 77 minutes. It was his second goal in as many games.

DPMM were handed another lifeline when an off the ball incident between Lau Meng Meng and Ivan Bosnjak led to the sending off of the Hougang skipper. Ivan Bosnjak took responsibity of the spotkick, but he too could not beat the mighty Fadhil Salim in the Hougang goal.

Hougang ended the game with a point to bring home and send the Hougang Hools into a delirium

Hougang United

Fadhil Salim, Lau Meng Meng (sent off 80′), Hasree Zais, Syaqir Sulaiman, Jeremy Chiang, Liam Shotton (Faizal Amir 45′), Azhar Sairudin, Thomas Beattie, Mamadou Diallo, Sobrie Mazelan (Fazli Jaffar 71′), Robert Eziakor (Basit Hamid 86′).

DPMM FC

Wardun Yussoff, Pg Sallehuddin Damit, Dino Drpic, Sairul Sahari, Stephane Auvray, Azwan Salleh (Adi Said 87′), Rosmin Khamis, Ivan Bosnjak, Subhi Abdillah, Joao Moreira, Shahrazen Said.

 

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