I can't help but to draw comparisons of our emphatic-looking win over OVA with Liverpool's thrashing of Newcastle United on 28 December 2008. Liverpool should have finished Newcastle off by half-time but instead they only managed a slim 2 – 1 lead by the break. Similarly, we should have buried OVA by the break but the slender half-time 2 – 1 lead defied logic. Liverpool eventually won by a 4-goals margin, 5 – 1. So did we, 6 – 2. Their skipper scored, so did ours, though the latter's contribution was only 50% of Gerrard's 2 goals. The English press described Liverpool's win as a "mauling of the hapless Newcastle". Out of respect for OVA, I wouldn't use such degrading words. OVA's only disadvantage against us is that, on average, they are about 10 years older than us. The facts that such veterans could still kick and run, scored 2 goals against us and at times were controlling possession and dictating the pace of play are very admirable. Putting things in perspective, the win, though looked emphatic, was at best flattering to us.
Teck Wah had half a dozen of scoring opportunities but converted 2. Similarly, Kian Hwa had 6 but managed only 1 goal. Simon had a goal disallowed. Melvin had one golden chance on a through ball but he thought he was playing hockey, scoring into the hockey goal besides the real goal mouth. Teck Chye's 2nd audacious chip over the keeper went astray. Plus several others, almost 20 opportunities to rack up a rout but we managed only 6 goals.
It was a lively encounter between both sides with all the 1st half goals coming in the opening 25 minutes of the half. Simon brilliantly intercepted a ball in midfield and threaded a through ball in between 2 OVA defenders for Teck Wah to finish the job, though the latter still had work to do by rounding the keeper before slotting the ball into goal. 1 – 0. The Tang brothers conjured up the 2nd goal soon afterwards. Teck Chye, superb on the right, picked out his younger brother at the far post with a perfect cross. Teck Wah, left unmarked, nodded the ball past the hapless OVA custodian. 2 - 0. Teck Wah then pulled wide to the right to further stretch OVA defence and a couple of crosses from him threatened to extend the lead, one of which leading to Simon's tap-in at the far post but his goal was ruled offside.
Our attacks were incessant that even Chwee Leng, now establishing himself as a fullback, missed his offensive role so much that he joined in the attack. He came close to meeting a cross from the left. Teck Wah then flashed a thunderbolt that was parried away by OVA keeper. A couple of substitutions were made, Hock Leong for Leo and Yong Chua for Simon, but before we could hardly settle down to the tactical changes, we conceded a goal. A poorly-executed offside call put our own defence on standstill, allowing the OVA winger to continue advancing into the box and smartly slot the ball past Brandon's left to reduce the deficit. 2 – 1. Melvin and Kian Hwa then came into play for See Chiang and Weng Khong respectively and both had opportunities to put themselves on the score sheet when each was put through brilliantly by Teck Chye to face the OVA keeper. The latter did superbly to deny both by quickly narrowing the angle. The first heroic act was to block Kian Hwa's shot with his feet and later force Melvin to take a hurried shot that did go into goal, but it was the hockey goal post besides the real goal post that matters. Before these misses, KH shot skyward from a tight angle when he was first to react to a loose ball after OVA defence failed to clear a low cross from the right.Teck Wah had further couple of efforts at goal but earned the wrath of the elder Tang who chided the former for not passing to team mates in better position. 1st half ended at 2 – 1.
OVA started the 2nd half with a higher sense of urgency, constantly urging the players to close us down. They fell prey to a long punting ball from our defence which pitted a duel between our Yong Chua and their last man, Henry. Henry failed to clear the high ball and allowed Yong Chua to muscle in to lob the bouncing ball over their keeper, who was for once in 2 minds whether to stay on the line or come forward to meet the ball. 3 – 1. True veterans they are. OVA recovered to reduce the deficit again. Their right winger sold a dummy that caught Leo flat-footed. The winger broke free to the byeline and sent a low cross across the 6-yards box for his Botak forward to tap in. 3 – 2, and they appeared revitalized again.
Things appeared to swing to their favour but See Chiang restored our 2-goals lead with a confident, crisp shot that left the OVA keeper wonder what zipped past him. 4 - 2
KH had further 3 scoring opportunities in the 2nd half gone begging – one was denied by a last-ditch world-class tackle from their full-back to deny him a certain goal, then KH sent another shot skyward from his left-footed effort to meet a low cross from the right, and the last being a solo effort starting from the left flank that saw him beating 3 defenders along the way but be was denied by a combination of the keeper's bravery and the defender's desperate challenge. But eventually, he was not to be denied of a goal. Weng Khong won the ball on the right and laid it off to See Chiang at the opposite flank. Again, the visibly exhausted OVA defence left See Chiang a free rein to run at goal. With the keeper advancing out to narrow space, See Chiang unselfishly picked out KH and laid the ball across the penalty box for a simple tap-in by the latter. 5 - 2
By now, OVA were sapped and another careless and feeble back pass was intercepted by Teck Chye on the left and after taking a look where the keeper was, Teck Chye produced an audacious chip over the keeper for our goal No 6. Teck Chye almost made it a carbon copy later when Teck Wah robbed their last man's demotivated control of the ball. Teck Wah fed his elder brother and the latter chipped over the advancing keeper but the ball went just wide.
The whistle was perhaps a relief for OVA as they were running out of spare limbs to carry on further. 6 -2 was the final score.
Man of The Match: Teck Chye At the rate this is going, the MoTM has become a Tang family affair! :) But well done, Teck Chye, we hope to see you producing such performance week in, week out.
Here are the nominations:
1. Teck Chye (5 votes)
"MoM is teck chye. Made important passes and scored fantastic goal" -
"Teck Chye for MoM" [Nominator: Next time, write a bit more lah, more interesting! :)]
"MoM is teck chye for controlling midfield"
"Teck Chye 4 his hardworking harassing role of opponents' offensive approach in the right midfield area & winning the ball back [2] provide some pretty good assists"
"MoM Chye - was 12 vs 11 today with chye's double work rate"
Both See Chiang and Mark obtained 3 nominations each.
2. See Chiang (3 votes)
"Tough call for MoM. My vote to see chiang for the beautifully taken goal, 1 unselfish assist n working tirelessly along the flank."
"MoM: see chiang. His wonder goal turn the game around, opponent sort of gave up after that. Good set up for the 5th goal also. Overall good game for him"
"Torn between Teck Chye and See Chiang. Both scored brilliant goals, both provided assists, both patrolled respective flanks well. But SC's goal sailed through the grasp of the keeper, leaving him clutching for thin air, a real power-packed shot...that slightly edged over Teck Chye..."
3. Mark (3 votes)
"MoM is mark. Controlled the center well."
"MOM: Mark. the control of the midfield in 1H was almost authoritarian. we could feel the missing giant piece of the puzzle when he went off."
"MotM: mark. controlled centre midfield when he played. lost our shape n conceded play to opponent when he went off, n conceded two goals. held the midfield well n won alot of balls"
Chor Guan garnered 2 votes and both Simon and Chwee Leng had 1 each.
"MOTM - Chor Guan" [Nominator: Next time, put in some encouraging words leh]
"Chor Guan – Doing a good job at the defence area"
"Simon tan: when simon came in in the later 2nd half, the game turned our way."
"Leng deserves a commendation for consistent dependable performances as fullback. Another solid game today."
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