Photo Credits: Goal Singapore
HOUGANG UNITED 4
Igor Cerina 3′,11′, Basit Hamid 62′, 76′
HARIMAU MUDA 1
Faridzuan Azhar 87′
It was a relegation group fixture in the S.League, however, the the looks of it is like a domestic club final.
With the Hougang Hools and Ultras Malaya both singing for their individual teams at the top of their voices, the crowd of nearly 1000-plus were entertained a pulsating game too.
It was a game that the Cheetahs have to win to have any possibility to move out of the bottom two places, and they had duly delivered. Against an under strength Young Tigers side, who have just finished their Newspaper Cup in Vietnam, they managed to mauled the Tigers to a 4-1 scoreline.
It could have been more, if not for missing opportunities by the Cheetahs, who had clearly dominated almost the entire duration of the game. 80% of the game was mostly on the Harimau Muda half, in which the young Tigers were clearly outplayed.
It took just three minutes for the Cheetahs to find a goal. Fazly Hasan’s free kick was bundled in by Igor Cerina who had a stroke of luck to score the goal to put his team into the lead.
Cheetahs could have two within the first six minutes, when Mamadou Diallo managed to evade his marker and crossed the ball to Jerome Baker, who managed to put the ball wide, after being sent into a one-on-one situation.
However, Cerina, who is clearly the best player of the night, managed to find his team’s and his personal second goal. Another set-piece by Fazli Jaffar was sent into goal by a glancing header by the 25-year old Croatian for a two-goal-lead.
The floodgates would have been opened, however, by then Harimau Muda have settled into the game and were finding their feet, however, Fadhil Salim was untested for most of the half, apart from Akmal Ishak’s chance on 42 minutes, which was managed to palm out for a corner.
The second half was a similar affair. The Cheetahs would have three on 52 minutes. Diallo managed to dribble into the box, but the Guinean’s finishing was way wide, if only if he would pass it to Jerome Baker, who had the clearer chance to score.
Nurhilmi Jasni also had another opportunity from a cross from Fazli Jaffar, but he poked it wide.
However, Amin Nasir made an inspirational substitution, by replacing Basit Hamid with Mamadou Diallo on sixty two minutes. Few seconds later, Basit latched on a long pass from the midfield and chipped the ball above the onrushing Hafizul for a three goal lead.
The Cheetahs eventually made it four on 76 minutes. Basit Hamid coolly converted a scissors kick from a cross from Jerome Baker to make it 4-0 to the night.
There was some consolation for Harimau Muda as Faridzuan Azhar managed to score a consolation goal, however the Cheetahs bagged all three points with a solid display.
HOUGANG UNITED
Fadhil Salim, Igor Cerina, Syaqir Sulaiman, Lau Meng Meng, Faizal Amir, Thomas Beattie, Azhar Sairudin, Fazli Jaffar (Fazly Hasan 87′), Nurhilmi Jasni, Jerome Baker (Liam Shotton 82′), Mamadou Diallo (Basit Hamid 62′)
HARIMAU MUDA
Hafizul Hakim, Osman Yusoff, Nur Areff Kamarudin, Hafis Saperi (Syafiq Shahlihin 70′), Ibrahim Jobeli, Yazid Zaini, Iskandar Hanapiah, S.Vikneswaran, Faridzuan Azhar, Akmal Ishak, Asyraf Talib (Norhamizaref Hamid 81′)
