DPMM FC 2
Adi Said 75′, 85′
HOUGANG UNITED 2
Nurhilmi Jasni 54′, Geison Moura 90’+4
DPMM looked set to gain all maximum three points in Berakas yesterday, when the Cheetahs went in and ruin the party mood yesterday evening.
Geison Moura latched on a flicked header from Syaqir Sulaiman and volleyed the ball past Wardun Yussoff and into the net, much to the dismay of the DPMM supporters.
The result meant the Cheetahs are nine games unbeaten in the league, their best unbeaten run so far, since 2011, and sitting on sixth place, on course for their first Championship half-round in the history of the club.
However, it wasn’t as simple for the Cheetahs, as DPMM looked very menacing in the opening minutes, to stamp their mark on their maiden S.League title chase.
Former Northampton Town striker Roy O’Donovan almost finished off a good move from the left, however his shot was denied spectacularly by Fadhil Salim
The Irishman again got a great opportunity from three yards out five minutes from half time, but was deflected off a Hougang defender for a corner.
However, the introduction of Adi Said in the 2nd half spices things upfront for the Wasps.
Roberto Alviz could have given the Wasps the advantage seven minutes into the second half. Roy O’Donovan ran on the Hougang right side and crossed towards the Croatian midfielder, whose shot went inches off the top right corner of the net.
However, it was the Cheetahs who surprised everyone with an unexpected lead. Diego Gama started the counterattack on the left side, and crossed it over to Nurhilmi Jasni, whose looping header surprised Wardun and his defenders to give his team the elusive lead.
Shunsuke Nakatake could have doubled the Cheetahs’ lead on 58 minutes, but his tamed shot was saved by Wardun Yussoff.
However, the hosts equalized when substitute Adi Said headed home a corner from Joe Gamble on 75 minutes.
That breathed life for the Wasps as they launched attacks after attacks in the last fifteen minutes of the game.
Fadhil Salim again denied O’Donovan again on 79 minutes, before conceding an excellent shot by Adi Said for his, and his team’s second on 85 minutes, which raised the roof at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium.
However, the Wasps didn’t sit back for the slender lead; instead Shahrazen Said’s near miss, and Rodrigo Tosi’s shot into the crossbar from distance were fatal for the hosts, as Geison Moura slot in an all-important equalizer for the Cheetahs, who fly home to the Lion City with a precious point to stay sixth in the table.
HOUGANG UNITED
Fadhil Salim, Igor Ferreira (Syaqir Sulaiman 81′), Firman Hanif, Lau Meng Meng, Faizal Amir, Shunsuke Nakatake, Wahyudi Wahid, Fazli Jaffar (Erwan Gunawan 76′), Nurhilmi Jasni (Faiz Salleh 88′), Geison Moura, Diego Gama
DPMM FC
Wardun Yussof, Abdul Aziz Tamit, Boris Raspudic, Joe Gamble, Azwan Ali, Azwan Salleh, Roberto Alviz, Rosmin Kamis (c), Maududi Hilmi Kasmi (Adi Said 45′), Rodrigo Tosi, Roy O’Donovan (Shahrazen Said 88′)
