Sengkang - Fresh from the double drubbings of two third-party teams in previous games, the BSRI Emeralds came into the match overflowing with confidence. However, being the holiday season and all, most of the players are given time to rest, recuperate and go to vacation in Bintan, leaving the 12 left behind to step up and given the opportunity to cement their place in the starting eleven.
Missing quite a number of regular starters, the team started with a very unfamiliar line-up, noticeably in the goalkeeping, striking and centre midfield departments. Nursing a niggling hamstring injury, Nasir started in goal. the back four remained quite unchanged. The "Ion-ised" Zaki on the right, Manager Marvel Adib on the left, the imposing Ashrof and Mr Reliable Farhan complete the line-up in the centre. The two flanks consist of Khairul on the right & under-performing Zarir on the left. The untested pairing of Dedi and Rennie forms the spine of the team in midfield. Firdaus and the "Revelation" Sufian16 spearheaded the attack.
The match started brightly, with the unforgivingly hot sun glaring down on the players. Despite a sluggish display in the first-half, a through ball sent Firdaus clear on goal. The hitman needed no invitation to score and his clinical finish gave the Emeralds the lead. However, a lapse in the defense led to the opponents' equaliser just 10 minutes later. Throughout the rest of the first half (and probably the whole match) resulted in a neverending battle between the opponents' barrage of through balls in the centre and the Emeralds' counter-attacks down the flanks.
Apart from the goals, there were two highlights that deserved special mention in the first half. One was the reflex gravity-defying shoulder save from the ever-versatile Nasir to parry a header that was almost certain to cross the goal-line onto the crossbar and away to safety. The other was the surprise striker Sufian16 with his darting runs terrorizing the opponents' defense, even forcing a save from their keeper with a blistering shot on-target.
Then the referee blew for 30 minutes of half-time. The usual.
Second-half. A minor reshuffling of positions. After his fabulous first-half foray as a forward, Sufian16 reclaimed his goalkeeping position and the mercurial Syarif taking over as forward. Nasir, being the first to have played in every available position known to the team this season, tried his hand at an unfamiliar role this time; The man in black. Or specifically, the man in a skimpy grey army tee. ie to say, the Ref*.
The second-half is pretty much like the first. The opponents over-ran the midfield (literally) and the Emeralds countered through the flanks, prominently on the right. It was only in the last third of the match that Zarir put his horrendous "Oleguer-esque" performance behind him and actually contributed to the team's attack. The Emeralds scored first midway in the half, against the run of play. A low cross ball from the left by Syarif managed to wriggle past the clutches of an opposing defender and onto Rennie's right foot. The midfielder then directed it to the top right hand corner of the net away from the outstretched arms of the helpless 'keeper. Sadly, the opponents scored in the last ten minutes to level the match.
Final whistle. 2-2 Final score.
*Referee didn't come. So each team provided one per half.
Disclaimer: The writer is a novice at writing reports or any other journalistic equivalent. Before blasting this entry and bombarding the writer with insults & criticisms, please be reminded that the writer did spend 15 minutes of his valuable time in such a selfless act of goodwill to write this entry for the benefit of those who were unable to attend the match. Prior to this, three games were played, yet NO ONE HAVE CONTRIBUTED ANYTHING. So please, be thoughtful and nice.
Plus, consider this piece of contribution as an "atonement" from the writer for his inexcusable display on the pitch just now. Thank you.
Missing quite a number of regular starters, the team started with a very unfamiliar line-up, noticeably in the goalkeeping, striking and centre midfield departments. Nursing a niggling hamstring injury, Nasir started in goal. the back four remained quite unchanged. The "Ion-ised" Zaki on the right, Manager Marvel Adib on the left, the imposing Ashrof and Mr Reliable Farhan complete the line-up in the centre. The two flanks consist of Khairul on the right & under-performing Zarir on the left. The untested pairing of Dedi and Rennie forms the spine of the team in midfield. Firdaus and the "Revelation" Sufian16 spearheaded the attack.
The match started brightly, with the unforgivingly hot sun glaring down on the players. Despite a sluggish display in the first-half, a through ball sent Firdaus clear on goal. The hitman needed no invitation to score and his clinical finish gave the Emeralds the lead. However, a lapse in the defense led to the opponents' equaliser just 10 minutes later. Throughout the rest of the first half (and probably the whole match) resulted in a neverending battle between the opponents' barrage of through balls in the centre and the Emeralds' counter-attacks down the flanks.
Apart from the goals, there were two highlights that deserved special mention in the first half. One was the reflex gravity-defying shoulder save from the ever-versatile Nasir to parry a header that was almost certain to cross the goal-line onto the crossbar and away to safety. The other was the surprise striker Sufian16 with his darting runs terrorizing the opponents' defense, even forcing a save from their keeper with a blistering shot on-target.
Then the referee blew for 30 minutes of half-time. The usual.
Second-half. A minor reshuffling of positions. After his fabulous first-half foray as a forward, Sufian16 reclaimed his goalkeeping position and the mercurial Syarif taking over as forward. Nasir, being the first to have played in every available position known to the team this season, tried his hand at an unfamiliar role this time; The man in black. Or specifically, the man in a skimpy grey army tee. ie to say, the Ref*.
The second-half is pretty much like the first. The opponents over-ran the midfield (literally) and the Emeralds countered through the flanks, prominently on the right. It was only in the last third of the match that Zarir put his horrendous "Oleguer-esque" performance behind him and actually contributed to the team's attack. The Emeralds scored first midway in the half, against the run of play. A low cross ball from the left by Syarif managed to wriggle past the clutches of an opposing defender and onto Rennie's right foot. The midfielder then directed it to the top right hand corner of the net away from the outstretched arms of the helpless 'keeper. Sadly, the opponents scored in the last ten minutes to level the match.
Final whistle. 2-2 Final score.
*Referee didn't come. So each team provided one per half.
Disclaimer: The writer is a novice at writing reports or any other journalistic equivalent. Before blasting this entry and bombarding the writer with insults & criticisms, please be reminded that the writer did spend 15 minutes of his valuable time in such a selfless act of goodwill to write this entry for the benefit of those who were unable to attend the match. Prior to this, three games were played, yet NO ONE HAVE CONTRIBUTED ANYTHING. So please, be thoughtful and nice.
Plus, consider this piece of contribution as an "atonement" from the writer for his inexcusable display on the pitch just now. Thank you.
