Just to illustrate how good Mizuno Reds, a team well blended with a handful of veterans but plentiful of early-20s youngsters, are. It is very rare for KH to beef up the defence as the match, especially when it is still a draw or when we are trailing, wears on. As we all know, he will usually go for broke to get the match. But such was the menace that Mizuno Reds' young, nippy forwards posed to us that Chor Guan, deployed as a striker in 1st half, had to replace Melvin as sweeper 15 minutes into the 2nd half in order to contain them.
1st half was fairly even with both sides carving out a handful of half chances but nothing really threatening. But 2nd half was pulsating, to say the least. Mizuno Reds could have opened the account right from the restart when they capitalized on our messy play at the back but their effort came off the upright and the couple of subsequent rebounds were blocked by our bodies in the line of fire. After brushing off that close shave, we started imposing, with Mark beginning to find his footing and Simon illustrious down our right flank. Still, their speedy forwards stretched our backline to the extent that Melvin had his right hamstring flared up. Cued in Chor Guan to replace him to keep those young boys at bay.
Gan brought out a superb reflex save from their keeper but the resultant corner settled the issue. Simon whipped in a wicked corner and Gan forced the ball through to break the duck for us. Gan then sent in a delicious looking cross, only for their right fullback, with Ng breathing down his neck, to handle the ball in mid-air. Referee was spot on to point to the spot and Chor Guan coolly converted it. 2-0. Kama's header from Mark's corner kissed the horizontal but a sweet 1-2 play between KH and Weng Khong saw KH crudely brought down in the box. Another clear-cut penalty and Weng Khong beat Mizuno Reds' custodian without any fuss. Both Weng Khong and KH could have further added to the tally but their keeper brilliantly denied Weng Khong at point blank and KH hit the side-netting after another wonderful 1-2 with Weng Khong.
Whatever Mizuno Reds threw at us with their individual flair, we neutralised them with bodies. On so many occasions we threw in the first man to disrupt their play and our back end colleagues were ever ready to deal with the 2nd or 3rd ball, much to the frustration of MR's youngsters. That's what experience is all about...no need to look pretty, just be effective, the end result counts :)
1st half was fairly even with both sides carving out a handful of half chances but nothing really threatening. But 2nd half was pulsating, to say the least. Mizuno Reds could have opened the account right from the restart when they capitalized on our messy play at the back but their effort came off the upright and the couple of subsequent rebounds were blocked by our bodies in the line of fire. After brushing off that close shave, we started imposing, with Mark beginning to find his footing and Simon illustrious down our right flank. Still, their speedy forwards stretched our backline to the extent that Melvin had his right hamstring flared up. Cued in Chor Guan to replace him to keep those young boys at bay.
Gan brought out a superb reflex save from their keeper but the resultant corner settled the issue. Simon whipped in a wicked corner and Gan forced the ball through to break the duck for us. Gan then sent in a delicious looking cross, only for their right fullback, with Ng breathing down his neck, to handle the ball in mid-air. Referee was spot on to point to the spot and Chor Guan coolly converted it. 2-0. Kama's header from Mark's corner kissed the horizontal but a sweet 1-2 play between KH and Weng Khong saw KH crudely brought down in the box. Another clear-cut penalty and Weng Khong beat Mizuno Reds' custodian without any fuss. Both Weng Khong and KH could have further added to the tally but their keeper brilliantly denied Weng Khong at point blank and KH hit the side-netting after another wonderful 1-2 with Weng Khong.
Whatever Mizuno Reds threw at us with their individual flair, we neutralised them with bodies. On so many occasions we threw in the first man to disrupt their play and our back end colleagues were ever ready to deal with the 2nd or 3rd ball, much to the frustration of MR's youngsters. That's what experience is all about...no need to look pretty, just be effective, the end result counts :)
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