Brandon Thio (ACS #17) heading in his first of three goals against Pioneer Junior College. (Photo 1 © Stefanus Ian/Red Sports)
Saint Andrew’s Junior College, Tuesday, March 28, 2017 — Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) (ACS) capitalised on a shaky start by Pioneer Junior College (PJC) to register a big 6-1 victory in their opening match of the National A Division Football Championship season.
A hat-trick by Brandon Thio (ACS #17) and goals by Ezra Lim (ACS #3), Yeo Zhi Kai (ACS #5) and Jovian Goh (ACS #4) ended the contest in the first half before Andez Tan (PJC #7) scored a consolation goal just before half time.
Despite the big win, ACS(I)’s teacher-in-charge Peter Davis played down the margin saying that defensively, they were “all over the place”.
“Very, very good first half but really disjointed, disorganised, whether it’s complacency, I don’t know, in the second half, we were very poor,” said Davies, 65.
“In fact, Pioneer deserved to get a couple of goals, they were the better team (in the second half),” he said.
“Offensively we were very good but defensively, for the whole match, we were all over the place.”
The goal-fest in the first half began from the first minute. Right after the first whistle, Pioneer soon conceded a free kick just outside their box and lost concentration as they let Brandon Thio easily head in his first goal of the season from inside the six-yard box.
The boys in red were clearly shaken and could not find their rhythm, conceding a second goal six minutes later. After receiving the ball from a throw-in, Ezra Lim (ACS #3) attempted a shot which was blocked by a Pioneer defender. But the ball fell kindly to Brandon who managed to take a low shot to double his tally despite being surrounded by the Pioneer defence.
Pioneer tried to stem the flow of ACS(I)’s attacks but ended up giving away too many unnecessary fouls. In the 11th minute, ACS(I) began to run away with the lead after Yeo Zhi Kai (ACS #5) sent his free kick beyond the reach of Pioneer’s goalkeeper, Aaron Liu (PJC #1).
Despite conceding three goals, Pioneer continued to be fearless in attack and were almost rewarded in the 22nd minute. Following a weak clearance by ACS(I), Pioneer’s Stuart Long (PJC #3) sent a sweetly-struck volley towards goal but was denied by the right post.
Undeterred, ACS(I) continued their siege on Pioneer’s goal and managed to cause panic in the 26th minute. After a goalmouth scramble, a clearance by a Pioneer defender went straight into the arms of their goalkeeper and was deemed to be a backpass by the referee.
This resulted in ACS(I) getting an indirect free kick inside the penalty box. Pioneer’s players formed a wall to block the entire goal but Jovian Goh still managed to open his scoring account for the season when his shot was deflected off the onrusing Aaron Liu and into the top right corner.
ACS(I) were running riot by now and Brandon completed his hat-trick with a shot inside the box in the 35th minute which was saved by Pioneer’s goalkeeper but hit the top bar and went into the goal.
Ezra then wrapped up the scoring for the boys in blue two minutes later. After being put through on goal, his shot was saved by Liu but he could not stop the ball from bouncing gingerly into the goal.
Before the halftime whistle, Pioneer managed to pull one back when a miscommunication between the ACS(I) defence line and goalkeeper allowed Andez Tan (PJC #7) to head the ball over the stranded goalie into the goal.
For all their goalscoring action, hat-trick hero Brandon, who plays in centre midfield, admitted that his team could not get beyond the first gear in the second half.
“First half we showed what we can do but second half we let our foot off the gas,” said the 17-year-old.
“I think we just couldn’t get going after the halftime break.”
After the high-scoring first half, ACS(I) struggled to break down a resolute and compact Pioneer team who managed to keep a clean sheet in the second half. PJC’s coach Muhammad Isa Haleem said he credited his boys for picking up their performance after the break.
“In the first half, I think we conceded goals too early, but that was (the team’s) first competitive match of the season,” said the 28-year-old coach, adding that the PJC team started training together only a few weeks ago.
“One thing I am really proud of them is their attitude, I think they didn’t want to go home feeling like they lost a game but actually giving their best,” he added.
“Although we lost, I told them, you know, in life, it’s not about winning or losing, it’s about winning and learning, if you don’t win, you learn.”
Score by Half
PJC vs ACS(I)
1st Half: 1-6
2nd Half: 0-0
Full-time: 1-6
Scorers
ACS(I)
Brandon Thio (ACS #17) — 3 goals
Ezra Lim (ACS #3) — 1 goal
Yeo Zhi Kai (ACS #5) — 1 goal
Jovian Goh (ACS #4) — 1 goal
PJC
Andez (PJC #7) — 1 goal
PJC Roster
Aaron Liu (#1), Muhammad Firdaus B Muntoha (#2), Stuart Long (#3), Teoh Shun Jet (#4), Muhammad Hudzaifah B Mohd Redwan (#5), Mitchell Lim (#6), Tan Andez (#7), Alistar Alif B Mohd Zufir (#8), Ryan Danial B Rohaizat (#9), Isaac Lee (#10), Brandon Ng (#11), Charan Kumar Velu (#12), Darren Quek (#13), Jester Tan (#14), Maadesh Kumar (#15), Ho Jiawei (#16), Ng Shang Yu (#18), Sean Ang (#20), Lim Hong Shing (#21), Izz Afiq B Hermansyah (#25)
ACS(I) Roster
Meredeth Chin Choon Siang (#1), Lee Ze Ming Jeremiah (#2), Ezra Lim Pin (#3), Goh Wei Jia Jovian (#4), Yeo Zhi Kai (#5), Habib Nur s/o Basheer (#6), Pardeep Singh Puhar (#7), Lim Wei Siang Jonathan (#8), Ryan Ho Haoran (#9), Christopher Liow (#10), Sago Kyosei (#11), Neal Kok Zhi An (#12), Benjamin Shang-en P Freeborn (#13), Lau Kai Kiat (#14), Gerald George (#15), Kevin Tan Wei Jin (#16), Brandon Thio Zhi Kai (#17), Sarfaroj Ahmed Malik (#18), Rezwan Ahmed (#19), Lim Xin Rong (#20)
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