SAFFC take top spot in S.League with victory over Balestier Khalsa

By Koh Yizhe/Red Sports

Choa Chu Kang Stadium, Wednesday, May 14, 2009 - The Singapore Armed Forces FC reclaimed top spot on the S.League table after a comfortable 3-1 victory over Balestier Khalsa. After 12 matches, they have 27 points, level with Gombak United, but with a superior goal difference.

It was a top-versus-bottom clash with the defending champions registering eight wins before the match while the Tigers came in rooted to the bottom of the table with only one win and four draws.

Despite having one eye on the AFC Champions League match in Korea, SAFFC fielded their strongest side save Therdsak Chaiman who started on the bench.

Korean Park Tae Won gave SAFFC an early lead within six minutes, smashing home from the edge of the area after Mustaqim Manzur set him up nicely from the left. The defending champions could have been two or three goals up by half time, but their shoots were wastefully blasted over, with Ahmad Latiff and Park Tae Won failing to convert chances.

It looked like SAFFC might regret the missed opportunities in the second half as Balestier did well to hold them off. But winger Mustaqim Manzur put any hopes of a comeback to sleep with a goal in the 59th minute.

He was a menace down the left against the Tiger's backline throughout the night and he was finally rewarded when he danced his way into the penalty box with a beautiful series of step-overs before blasting the ball past the helpless Hafez Mawasi.

Disaster then struck for the Tiger's skipper Jufri when he attempted to clear a Latiff corner in the 82nd minute, but instead, he lobbed his header over his keeper, giving SAFFC a 3-0 lead.

Both Daniel Bennett and John Wilkinson were taken off in the late stages of the match, allowing them some rest before the AFC Champions League match on Tuesday. Balestier Khalsa got their consolation goal deep into added time, but by then, the crucial three points for the defending champions were wrapped up.

SAFFC coach Richard Bok felt it was important to get a win before their Champions League match.

"It was a professional job done and at this stage of the league, all three points is more important than the performance. To win a match before travelling to Korea is a good moral booster and it is definitely important."

"Of course we could be more clinical in front of goal and we wasted a few good chances, but Balestier didn't make it easy for us."

"Playing in the Champions League is a totally different league. We will have to play a lot more defensive because if we play openly, we will get slaughtered. So we have a lot of defending to do in Korea."