Victorians pip Saints 2-1 for the bronze medal

By Lee Hwee Cheng

Catch highlights in Episode 15 of RedSportsTV

National Stadium, Thursday, May 24, 2007 – In the 3rd/4th placing match that took place just before the National ‘A’ Division Boys Football Finals at the National Stadium on Thursday, Victoria Junior College got over the heartbreak of their semifinal loss and the relinquishment of their title, and proved they are still one of the best teams in the tournament this season with a magnificent 2-1 win over St Andrew’s Junior College.

It was almost a match not to be when dark clouds loomed over central Singapore in the early afternoon, and it would have been a real shame if the boys were to still miss the opportunity to play a final game at the National Stadium. But the clouds started dissipating as the hour drew nigh to 1500. And by the time the whistle for the kick-off blew, it had ironically turned into a blazing hot afternoon.

The Victorians had started off with the more energetic offense, pushing hard ahead with their attacks against the Saints’ defense and making more on-target shots.  Gavin Lee (#13) single-handedly gave SAJC much trouble early in the half, when he took a perfectly-timed pass as he was sprinting down the right flank, and with just the right amount of forward momentum, he dribbled easily past two defenders and fired a shot past the goalie on a one-on-one.

To the Victorians’ disbelief, it hit and rebounded off the left goal post instead.  Minutes later, a free kick he took just outside the penalty box was straight on target but was saved by the goalie.

By this time, the Saints had finally found their groove in the heat, and picked up their own offense.  The strikers had many shots on target, especially from long range.  But it was the Victorians who finally found the net and scored the first goal of the match.

A well-executed passing game involving three players, Tan Yap Heng (#19) was sprinting down the right flank when he received a good pass from midfield. He crossed it to teammate Muhammad Redzuan (#7) running down the middle, who immediately passed the ball to Justin Kong (no.9) on the left.  Justin took a little dribble with the ball before he fired the shot straight into the right corner of the goal.  With that, Victoria took the lead 1-0.

By the 30th minute of the match, the heat seemed to have taken its toll on the boys as they were starting to exhibit fatigue on the pitch.  Or perhaps, it might have been the wider Kallang pitch that provided a bigger than normal playing field.  The Saints continued with their attacks but came up continuously against an overpowering Victorian defense.  The boys in orange would have ended the half with much frustrated if not for a free kick awarded in the later minutes of the half.

Taking it from the left flank near the centre line, Saint Jeremy Ong (#2) sent a high floater that curved precisely into the top right corner of the goal post that VIctorian goalie Najib simply failed to stop with his outstretched arms.  It took the stadium by surprise but the crowds broke into a wild frenzy after a split second of stunned silence. The first half ended 1-1 with the psychological advantage swinging in Saints’ favour.

The advantage was however lost in the first few minutes of the second half when the Victorians scored a quick goal to go 2-1 ahead. In a replay of the first half, the Victorians dominated and attacked early in the second half. Ths time round, though, the Saints had beefed up their defense against Victoria’s aggression.

But the harder defensive efforts and the urgency to equalise in addition to the tiresome heat might have really worn out the Saints this time. One by one, the Saints started to go down on the pitch with calf cramps, having to take quick stretches on the side for a few minutes before continuing their battle.

As the minutes of the match drew closer to the 80th, the Saints seemed to lose steam on attack, having only enough energy left to defend. Much credit has to be given to the Saints’ goalie Cheng Guang Hao for stopping many of Victoria’s on-target shots. By the end of the match, the Saints just could not find the answer to Victoria’s second-half goal.

Editor’s note:  If you do recognize yourselves or any of your friends in these pictures, do drop us a note in the "Comments" section, and we’ll update the captions accordingly.  Thanks!