Story by REDintern Stefanus Ian

Saint Andrew’s Junior College, Friday, April 1, 2011 — In a match where controversial refereeing was a hot talking point, Saint Andrew’s Junior College (SAJC) narrowly triumphed 3-2 over Dunman High School in the first round of the National A Division Boys’ Football Championship.

The game was tied twice before SAJC took their second lead of the match to seal the game and continue their perfect run of two wins out of two. SAJC are now second on goal difference in Group B behind Anderson Junior College (AJC).

Although many would point to the questionable penalty decision in the first half against SAJC, Dunman High’s stubborn defending and tactical discipline were crucial in limiting SAJC to only a one-goal victory.

SAJC kicked off the match playing their usual passing, probing game and waited patiently for an opening. However, Dunman High held firm with their physically strong and committed defence. Disaster then struck for the Saints when, after some precise passing, a Dunman High forward broke through with only a defender and goalkeeper to beat.

Sensing the danger, Zelig Leong (#1) slid in immediately to clear the ball. However, his trailing leg seemed to make contact with the player and as the Dunman High attacker fell to the ground, the referee instantly blew for a spot-kick, much to the surprise and disbelief of many.

Dunman High’s Lim Zheng Feng (#9) stepped up to convert the penalty, giving his team an early lead against the heavily-favoured home team.

When asked if it was a penalty, the Dunman High coach, Kelvin Seow, replied: “When I saw the incident, I saw that the defender got to the ball and there was probably a little bit of contact. However, I think we were quite lucky that the referee gave us the penalty.”

The SAJC boys were visibly shaken by the much-debated incident and it took them some time to get back into their groove. However, for all their pretty passing, the Saints were hardly penetrative and this was largely due to the tactically-astute decision by Dunman High to man-mark SAJC’s playmaker Muhammad Syafiq Bidin (#5).

At least one Dunman High player was always on hand to deny him the space and time to weave his magic every time he touched the ball, reducing Syafiq to an almost pedestrian-like figure for long spells in the game. Devoid of their midfield general, SAJC struggled to make much headway and were restricted to few threatening attempts at Dunman’s goal.

With Syafiq a non-factor, Pradeep took the initiative for SAJC, tirelessly chasing loose balls and being the only real threat to Dunman High in the first half. His hard work paid off when he capitalised on a loose ball in the middle of the Dunman High penalty box. Pradeep’s first touch controlled the ball and his second volleyed it into the net to make it all square.

With renewed belief, SAJC pushed forward in search of the lead. However, in their zest, their players were at times guilty of taking one touch too many, and thus found it difficult to break down Dunman High’s defence. Their skipper, Tan Kuan Liang (#10), led by example with several important last-minute tackles, and their rearguard were more than happy to clear any dangerous balls away rather than trying to play it out of trouble.

However, cheered on by a sizeable crowd, the Saints finally took the lead through a corner from the left as Pradeep made full use of his height advantage to head the ball in after being left unmarked near the far post. If the home crowd must have thought that their team should have done enough to secure this victory, they were soon to be proven wrong.

Despite losing their lead, Dunman High refused to give in and continued pushing forward for the equaliser. Dunman’s offence had relied essentially on the speed and combination of Timothy Ang (#20) and Yan Jianfeng (#7). Although at times predictable, their sheer pace, when exhibited effectively, could be too hot to handle for the home team as they would soon find out.

Following a harmless looking corner kick from the left whipped in by Sherman Lee (#11) the Saints’ custodian uncharacteristically fumbled the ball allowing Timothy Ang, who was the first to react, to pounce leveling the scores again, leaving the home crowd stunned. Dunman High were now back in the game with a glimmer of hope of an upset result.

The goal glut began with a penalty and it was perhaps fitting that it ended with one. With 10 minutes left in the game, Pradeep again had a hand in the third goal as he was brought down in the box after tussling with a Dunman High defender. The referee did not hesitate to point to the spot, leading to loud cheers from the grandstand.

However, the drama was not over yet. Neville Chia (SAJC #21) stepped up to send the ball to the bottom left hand corner of the goal but Dunman High’s keeper, Lim Chun Seng (#1), reacted well to tip the ball onto the crossbar, drawing gasps of amazement and perhaps horror from the home team supporters.

Chun Seng however, could do nothing but watch as Vengada Ramesh (SAJC #14) tapped in the rebound for the winning goal, much to the relief of the home team. The frustration of the boys in blue was clear as Chung Seng kicked the goalpost after conceding that third goal.

SAJC endured a nervy finish to the game and their teacher in charge, Roland Lee, could be seen urging all his players to drop back into their defensive third to defend a corner late in the game. Nevertheless, they hung on for the victory to grab all three points.

Dunman High’s coach Kelvin Seow admitted to being a little gutted at the final outcome. He said: “I feel a little hard-done by as a draw was probably a more fair result.” However, he felt SAJC’s technical superiority and determination gave them the extra edge they needed to snatch the victory.

Dunman High, who beat Yishun Junior College 1-0 in their opening game, will now have to pick themselves up for their next game on Tuesday, April 5th, against Nanyang Junior College.

Match Statistics

SAJC 3 DHS 2
Scorers: Ravichandran Pradeep (SAJC #11), Vengada Ramesh (SAJC #14), Lim Zheng Feng (DHS #9), Timothy Ang (DHS #20)
Yellow Card: Timothy Ang (#20)

National A Division Football Championship — Full fixtures and results(