Geylang United run out easy 3-0 winners over Young Lions in League Cup football

Story by Leslie Tan/Red Sports. Photos by Koh Yizhe/Red Sports.

Choa Chu Kang Stadium, Tuesday, June 2, 2009 – Geylang United beat the Young Lions 3-0 in a Group B League Cup game.

It was an abysmal performance by the Young Lions who only had one shot on target.

Geylang threatened first in the 17th minute when Lloyd Butler (#21) glanced a header onto the post.

Obadin Aikhena then tried to dribble his way out of defense and got caught with the ball. Geylang broke down the left and the ball was slid back for Rastislav Belicak (#3) to hammer home from outside the box for the first goal of the game.

Butler then threatened again in the 31st minute but his header was well saved by Hyrulnizam Juma’at (#1) in the Young Lions goal.

The Young Lions started the second half brightly enough. Fabian Kwok (#12) rode a Geylang challenge well and looked up in time to slide a pass through the heart of the Geylang defence for Eugene Luo. Eugene did not go in for the 50-50 ball and the Geylang goalkeeper Yazid Yasin (#19) shielded the ball to safety.

Then came the second goal for Geylang United. A Noor Ali cross from the right flank was met by Butler and his glancing header looped over the stranded Hyrulnizam for a 2-0 Geylang lead.

A free header for Noor Ali was then covered by Hyrulnizam but that did not stop the Young Lions keeper from bawling out his defenders for the lax defending.

A surging run down the right flank by Faritz Abdul Hameed (#9) ended in a cross that saw Hariss Harun fly in with a header but the midfielder missed the target.

A 71st minute blast by Miroslav Latiak saw Hyrulnizam make another save and then came the best chance of the night for the Young Lions.

The persistence of substitute Fairoz Hasan on the edge of the Geylang box gave Hariss a chance to blast a shot but Yazid Yasin was competent enough to make his one and only save of the night.

Then came the third goal which had a comedic element to it. A shot from the edge of the box by Miroslav beat the keeper but not the upright. The ball bounced back and Ashrin Shariff (#18), in his attempt to hit the rebound, blasted it against the leg of Faritz instead and the ball bounced into goal.

Geylang United ran out comfortable 3-0 winners and the lamentable form of the Young Lions continues.