Sports School beat St Patrick’s on penalties to retain their National B Division football crown

Story by Kenneth Tan/Red Sports. Photos by Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports

CCAB, Friday, July 23, 2010 — In a gruelling match full of drama and excitement, the Singapore Sports School managed to retain their National B Division Football Championship via a 6-5 penalty shootout win over surprise package St Patrick’s School. Both teams were tied 3-3 after extra time. This is the fourth successive year Sports School has picked up the B Division football crown.

Both teams went for the jugular in this match which resulted in an explosive first half where four goals were shared between both teams. Sports School’s third goal two minutes into the second half had looked to win it for them before St Patrick’s equalized late on with two minutes left.

Sports School started the better side with a couple of early efforts. Winger Muhd Zakir headed over from a free kick while forward Muhd Nurullah volleyed wide.

Instead it was St Patrick’s who scored against the run of play on 5 minutes. A defence-splitting pass from centre back Daniel Christopher Chai released lanky forward Dharvin Hiranand Mirpuri free on the right. Dharvin strode into the box and promptly curled the ball over the onrushing Sports School goalie Khairul Karim for the first goal.

The lead did not stay long though as Sports School hit back within two minutes. When an inswinging corner was half-cleared, midfielder Tajeli Bin Selamat seized the opportunity to slam a 30-yard screamer right into the top left corner, giving St Patrick’s goalie Ashwyn Seth no chance at all.

However St Patrick’s retook the lead on 10 minutes through a similar route. A through ball from captain Basil Gerard Teo in midfield exploited Sports School’s loopholes on the left of their defence again as Dharvin was left free once again in the box. Dharvin remained composed to slot the ball into the bottom left corner for a 2-1 lead for his team.

Sports School went in search for the equalizer and struck the woodwork on a couple of occasions. A Muhd Nurullah lob went off the top of the bar before midfielder Muhd Fuad thumped a 20m volley against the bar as well.

St Patrick’s could have extended their lead to 3-1 on 28 minutes when winger Chester Leander Tan was brought down just outside the box but full back Santa Maria Ryan John’s curling left-footed free kick was tipped wide by Khairul Karim.

That save would prove crucial two minutes later as Sports School managed to draw level at 2-2. An inswinging corner saw captain Shannon Stephen produce a looping header at the far post that dropped just inside the right-hand post. Despite St Patrick’s full back Jonathan Yew’s best efforts, he could only help the header into the net.

Sports School had another two opportunities in the closing stages of the first half but winger Jasvinder Singh and Muhd Nurullah both fired their shots over.

Their disappointment was quickly erased within two minutes of the restart. Muhd Nurullah’s pull back from the left flank created an opening for top scorer Daniel Farhan Tan to curl the ball high past the goalkeeper into the top left corner of goal.

Sports School asserted their authority on the game in the second half with their good use of flanks which St Patrick’s had no answer to.

Daniel Farhan Tan fired another effort over before Muhd Zakir thundered his 20m shot against the bar. Zakir had another one-on-one opportunity with Ashwyn Seth but the St Patrick’s goalie came out to cover his angles well.

Their lack of finishing would cost them as St Patrick’s came back strongly in the closing stages. A header from a corner was saved before Basil Gerard Teo fired his 30m free kick over the bar.

Their pressure paid off with just two minutes left. A short corner played towards Jeremy Louis Koh caught the Sports School defence off-guard as the substitute curled his effort into the bottom left corner, sending the St Patrick’s fans into delirium while silencing Sports School’s.

Extra time was a game of survival of the fittest as St Patrick’s players constantly went down with cramps, with the most notable casualty being captain Basil Gerard Teo who had to be carried off after suffering a hamstring injury.

St Patrick’s goalie Ashwyn Seth’s reflexes kept his team in the game as he tipped a Muhd Zakir looping header over the bar and made a couple of brave dives at the feet of the Sports School forwards.

After 100 minutes of football, the match had to be decided by the dreaded penalty shootout.

Both teams converted their first four penalties before St Patrick’s equalizing hero Jeremy Louis Koh blazed his team’s fifth penalty over.

It came down to Sports School’s fifth taker Muhd Zakir to score the winner but Ashwyn Seth denied him as he dived the right direction to tip the penalty effort wide.

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