Story by REDintern Ryan Lim. Photos by Chua Kai Yun/Red Sports.
ACJC players celebrate Devon Gammon’s (ACJC #8, center) goal. (Photo 1 © Chua Kai Yun/Red Sports)
St Andrew’s Junior College, Tuesday, April 5, 2016 — Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) stunned St Andrew’s Junior College (SAJC) with a masterclass performance, claiming a 4-1 victory to top their group in the National A Division Football Championship.
Both teams came into this game with perfect records. ACJC with two wins out of two, and SAJC with three victories in as many matches. A win for either team would put them in pole position to finish top of the group.
The previous game between the two sides was a second-round match-up a year ago ending in a 2-1 victory for ACJC. Although the head-to-head record favours ACJC, SAJC progressed further in the competition last year, finishing in fourth place compared to ACJC’s exit in the second round.
The fans of both schools were in full voice as the game got on the way. A feisty start to the contest meant both teams had to rely on quick passing movement to avoid getting caught out by their opponents. There was high quality ball control and commendable spatial awareness on display from both sets of players, as they showed why they were the teams to beat in their group.
ACJC stole a march on SAJC when they netted the game’s opener. A darting run from Ayyadarshan (ACJC #14) down the right wing took several SAJC defenders away from the ACJC forwards. A pass into the box found Chia Chong Jin (ACJC #18), who calmly put the ball into the goal with a controlled strike.
Ayyadarshan (ACJC #14) continued to terrorize the SAJC defence with his lightning speed and agility. The SAJC defenders struggled as they found themselves having to anticipate the ACJC right winger’s runs, and had to keep a distance from him to prevent themselves from being outpaced. This resulted in Ayyadarshan (ACJC #14) being able to mix it up with speedy runs down the flanks and cutting infield for shots at goal.
This unpredictability caused more than a few problems for SAJC. It also resulted in an early SAJC substitution after only 15 minutes of play, a tactical change to counter the ACJC player’s pace.
SAJC were in unfamiliar territory, having to chase a game for the first time in the championship, after keeping clean sheets in all three of their previous games. However, they responded well by conjuring up an attack of their own, a strong header that went narrowly wide of the goal.
The SAJC team showed grit to keep themselves in the game. A chested goal-line clearance from one of the SAJC defenders prevented ACJC from extending their lead.
Before long, Fazlur Rahman (SAJC #8) delivered a dipping strike from the edge of the penalty box that flew straight into the top left corner of the goal. The game was levelled at 1-1.
At the 20-minute mark, the game was halted after the lightning alert went off.
After a 15-minute pause, the players re-entered the pitch with no less vigour.
Both teams contested every ball with utmost commitment. A clash of heads left two players with deep cuts on their faces. With blood streaming down, the referee sent both players to the sidelines for medical assistance. The players were applauded back into the field spotting bandages over their faces.
Devon Gammon (ACJC #8) had been a colossal figure in midfield, winning many tackles and headers for his team. He also got on the scoresheet when he restored ACJC’s lead with a thumping header that bulged the back of the net.
ACJC went into the halftime break with a 2-1 lead.
SAJC pushed on for a second equalizer in the second half. A low driven shot from SAJC found the wrong side of the net.
ACJC captain Tan Kayshin (ACJC #10) almost made it 3-1 with a sumptuous volley that was palmed away by the SAJC custodian, Chua Chen Wei (SAJC #13). He had to make a double save, blocking the rebounded shot.
SAJC efforts were often neutralized by an ACJC defence led by the impressive centre-back, Suhas Ramanan (ACJC #2). Suhas was a solid presence in the heart of the ACJC defence. Aerial prowess coupled with high pass completion rates ensured that possession was well kept.
Towards the final 15 minutes of the game, Ayyadarshan (ACJC #14) beat three SAJC defenders with a dazzling dribble that ended with a right-footed shot into goal. The ACJC bench rushed towards the right winger to celebrate an extraordinary solo goal that made it 3-1.
The game was put beyond SAJC’s reach when Tan Kayshin (ACJC #10) scored a close range goal minutes later to wrap up a 4-1 victory that catapulted ACJC to the top of the group.
Said captain Tan Kayshin (ACJC #10), “It was very hard work, coming here, the home crowd was very loud and we had to keep our head in the game. Our aim is to take it game by game, stay level-headed and train hard.”
Goal-scorer Ayyadarshan (ACJC #14) added, “It was a team effort, everyone who played today gave everything they had and put it all on the pitch. But at the end of the day, it’s just another game and A Division Championship is a very long journey.”
SAJC take on Pioneer Junior College in their final Round 1 game. ACJC face Jurong Junior College in their next match.
Score by Half
SAJC vs ACJC
1st Half: 1-2
2nd Half: 0-2
Full-time: 1-4
Scorers
SAJC
Fazlur Rahman (#8) – 1 goal
ACJC
Chia Chong Jin (#18) – 1 goal
Devon Gammon (#8) – 1 goal
Ayyadarshan (#14) – 1 goal
Tan Kayshin (#10) – 1 goal
SAJC Roster
Heng Jiu Xiao (#1), Fabio Camagni (#2), Akaash Panday (#3), Sansar Budha (#4), Ameer Khalid (#5), David Goh (#6), Kevin Peh (#7), Fazlur Rahman (#8), Charlton Tan (#9), Damian Ong (#10), Bryan Kow (#11), Chua Chen Wei (#13), Shrvir Singh(#14), Sean Lee (#15), Jonathan Lee (#16), Drew Joseph (#18), Elgin Fong (#20), Tan Kian Yong (#22), Luke Ang (#23), Raymond Handoko (#25)
ACJC Roster
Ethan Koh (#1), Suhas Ramanan (#2), Joel Tan (#4), Justinian Macpherson (#6), Kang Seong Soo (#7), Devon Gammon (#8), unknown (#9), Tan Kayshin (#10), Oon Jinkuan (#11), Tan Xinwei (#12), Yao Zhikai (#13), Ayyadarshan (#14), Ryan Chew (#15), Jonathan Chia (#16), Chia Chong Jin (#18), Loy Huijing (#19), Eldon Foo (#20), Mark Lam (#21), Loo Wee Sing (#23), Jonathan Long (#24)
National A Division Football Championship – fixtures and results
More photos next page
Picture 4 should be #19 Loy Hui Jing.
Thank you for pointing out the error, the caption has been corrected.