Singapore thump 25 past Malaysia in floorball championship

Story by REDintern Noor Farhan. Pictures by REDintern Chua Yueda.

Woodlands Sports Hall, Thursday, February 4, 2010 - The men's national team did the country proud with a resounding 25-1 victory over its neighbours Malaysia in the inaugural Asia-Pacific Floorball Championship. The score line represents one of the largest goal margins ever in recent history of national floorball matches.

Ahmad Afzal (SG #9) opened the scoring via a slap shot as early as the first minute after some fast passing by his teammates. This was followed by a goal from Jovyn Low (SG # 22) from a free hit earned at ¾ court that nestled into the back of the net to make it 2-0 to Singapore.

Hafeez (SG #7) soon followed his younger sibling Afzal into the score sheet after some quick one-touch passes by his forwards found him in space on the right. He finished emphatically with a close range wrist shot into the top corner of the net at 4:22.

The lunar festivities must have come early for Tim Quek (SG #99), as a clever pass by teammate Yiru (SG #23) left him with the easiest finish at 5:49 on the right side of the gaping Malaysia defence.

By this point the Malaysians had no answer to Singapore's incisive quick-attacks into their area, as another goal by Jovyn (SG #22) after an assist by Joshua Leroy Brown (SG #21) put the score line at 5-0.

A lightning raid on the right presented Joseph Cortes (SG #27) with an opening to send Tim Quek (SG #99) free to ripple the back of the net, making it 6-0 at 10:22.

Malaysia were clearly struggling to keep up, being starved of possession and slower on the ball, as seen by their only attack in the first period by Teoh Jiun Haur (MAL #5) at 13:59 that got blocked by the resolute Singapore defence.

With his back facing goal, Enrico Elifhal Marican (SG #24) sent the ball into the top corner, leaving the Malaysian goalie completely bamboozled at 13:51, sending the score line to 7-0. The dropped shoulders of the Malaysian players showed everything as they struggled to make inroads into the game.

Malaysia then blundered soon after in their own box, after a miss-pass culminated in a foul. The resulting close-range free hit left Oswind Rosaryo (SG #12) plenty of space to swivel in an airhook into the top corner, reminiscent of his goal in the recent Institute-Varsity-Polytechnic (IVP) Floorball Championship.

Things continued to go downhill for Malaysia as they simply could not stop Nahendran (SG # 4) scoring from a tight angle from left to make it 9-0 at 16:29. Oswind (SG #12) did the honours of sending the score into double digits after a criss-cross passing move with Hafeez (SG #7).

The period ended with a tricky dribble by Joshua Leroy Brown (SG #21) from ¾ court which he swept into the top corner of the net to make it 11-0.

At this point, the speed of the movement and passing were apparently too fast for the Malaysian team, given the current red-hot form of Singapore.

Barely minutes into the start of the second period, Enrico (SG #24) smashed in a shot into the Malaysia goal after a passing move by Tim Quek (SG #99) splintered the Malaysian defence to make it 12-0.

This was followed by another by Yiru (SG #23) on the right side as he broke through the Malaysian rearguard after a power play. His powerful slap shot off the underside of the cross bar made it 13-0 at 3:54.

Malaysia did attempt a slow fight back after Chiam Ter Min (MAL #4) blazed an attempt high and wide off the mark after breaking up one of Singapore's attacks.

However, faster than you can say "goal-fest", a pass by Hafeez (SG #7) raced across the face of Malaysia's goal, which found the blade of Shahmeer's stick in a quick wrist shot. With the score at 14-0, the opponent's chances of a comeback had all but died.

In the final minutes, the triangular movement of Oswind (SG #12), Afzal (SG #9) and Hafeez (SG #7) caused havoc in the Malaysian area, as the latter had the simplest of tap-ins to score from the left. The second period ended with the score at 15-0.

The massacre continued into the third period, as Singapore did not let up in their offense as well as defense. Jovyn (SG #22) and Tim Quek (SG #99) both scored after some lightning passes by their teammates to make it 17-0 to Singapore.

Singapore's goaltender Abdul Khalique was finally made to work by Chiam Ter Min (MAL #4) when he saved comfortably at 4:55.

Tim Quek (SG #99) continued to celebrate the Lunar New Year early, seeing his effort trickle in at 6:04 after an assist by Yiru (SG #23).

Malaysia finally broke their scoring duck, with a consolation goal by the hardworking Low Chong Guan (MAL #13) to make it 1-18.

There was certainly no sibling rivalry about the next goal, with both brothers Afzal (SG #9) and Hafeez (SG #7) combining to send Shahmeer (SG #3) free to score at 12:41. With Singapore now having 19 goals to their name, there was no telling if they could score even more.

Tim Quek (SG #99) displayed his vast experience from having played for the national team since the inception of floorball in Singapore, as he dribbled from the left flank, slaloming past several Malaysian defenders at 14:39 to score.

Singapore, at this point, had now sent 20 goals past the hapless Malaysian goalie.

Lionel Sing (SG #13), Oswind (SG #12) and Joshua (SG #21) continued to rip apart Malaysia in rapid-fire succession, with all their shots on target to make it 23-1 to Singapore as the slaughter continued.

Enrico Marican (SG #24) and Johnson Sivalingam (SG #16) showed their almost psychic understanding of each other's movements having played together for the national hockey team, with the latter sending a venomous slap shot that squirmed underneath the keeper at 18:25 to make it 24-1 to Singapore.

Lionel Sing (SG #13) hammered the final nail into the coffin, after a quick one-two with Hafeez (SG #7) that left the Malaysian defence for dead, to end the game 25-1.

Man of the Match: Tim Quek (SG #99), Low Chong Guan (MAL #13)

Singapore Lineup:
Shahmeer (#3), Nahendran (#4), Hafeez (#7), Ahmad Afzal (#9), Abdul Hafiz (#10), Kelvin "Banana" Boon Kwang (#11), Oswind Rosaryo Suria (#12), Lionel Sing (#13), Sim How Chong (#15), Johnson Sivalingam (#16), Sean Huang (#17), Joshua Leroy Brown (#21), Jovyn Low (#22), Tan Yiru (#23), Enrico Elifhal Marican (#24), Md Syazni (#25), Joseph Cortes (#27), Abdul Khalique (#31), Md Firdaus (#32), Timothy Quek (SG #99)

Malaysia Lineup:
Illyas Yushaak (#1), Sjaiful Anuar (#2), Chiam Ter Min (#4), Teoh Jiun Haur (#5), Chng Keng Hooi (#7), Satyan Gunasekaran (#6), Yeoh Jun Wooi (#8), Cheang Jin Keat (#10), Deswyn Wan (#11), Low Kien Teck (#12), Low Chong Guan (#13), Jo-Wyee Loh (#17), Md Hafidz (#23), Khor Kuan Yang (#27), Tan Kok Yee (#29), Kao Lin Ken (#31)