Football: LionsXII beat Johor 1-0 for first pre-season win

By Stefanus Ian/Red Sports

Jalan Besar Stadium, Wednesday, January 4, 2012 — It was a Jekyll and Hyde performance by the Singapore LionsXII as they finally recorded their first pre-season win with a 1-0 victory over Johor FC. Shahril Ishak scored the solitary goal of the match in the 57th minute to send the supporters home happy.

With the backing of a paltry crowd numbering no more than 2,000 even though there was no admission fee, the LionsXII turned the game around in the second half after producing a pedestrian performance in the opening half.

In a first-half performance as disappointing as the crowd turnout, the LionsXII struggled to create any real chances. Perhaps it was injuries or maybe the fact that the players were afraid of risking injury so close to the season opener. Whatever the case, both sides were insipid and uninspired in the opening minutes.

There were few hard challenges barring an early yellow for Azi Shahril of Johor as the visitors seemed content to sit back and absorb the pressure from the home team. Ball possession was clearly not a problem for the Singaporeans.

However, the boys in red looked devoid of ideas going forward. Shahril Ishak even had to drop back a few times to get the ball. While the defensive pairing of Baihakki Khaizan and Safuwan Baharudin was calm, composed and most importantly, effective, the same could not be said for the attackers though.

LionsXII head coach V Sundramoorthy admitted as much after the match.

“We need to fine tune our attacking game, we must have some creativity and some imagination,” he said.

It took the LionsXII more than half an hour to come up with the game’s first real chance via Hariss Harun. After picking up the ball from midfield, he went on a jinking run past a few defenders into the penalty box. However, he dribbled himself out of space and his cross was eventually too near Johor goalkeeper Zamir Selamat who intercepted it comfortably.

The LionsXII showed all the communication problems of a team formed just a month ago, especially in the attacking department. In the 42nd minute, Agu Casmir started a good move with a through ball to Shahdan Sulaiman who managed to whip a cross in. However, the attack came to nothing as Isa Halim and Agu Casmir clashed while going for the same header.

Johor only had one significant effort at the LionsXII’s goal. Left with time and space just outside the box, Zamri Chin unleashed a looping shot that rattled the crossbar just before half time.

The second half started with Shahril Ishak on the left and Khairul Nizam coming in for Shahdan Sulaiman. The tactical move worked wonders for the home side as they started to play with more urgency and direction. Soon, their industry bore results with a goal just before the hour mark.

Hariss started the move with a quick clearance to send Shahril on the counter down the left. After combining brilliantly with Agu Casmir for a precise one-two, the skipper made no mistake from close range. It was a well-taken and deserved goal for the 27-year-old who had been the creative spark for his team all match long.

The goal seemed to jolt the game to life as Johor FC came close to leveling the score in the 65th minute. Eddy Helmi, who had been a livewire for Johor FC, had a chance with a quick shot inside the box. However, Izwan was equal to the task, pulling out a reflex save down low to cling on to his clean sheet.

For a team that is about to start the season in less than a week’s time, the LionsXII seemed barely ready. The right side of the team looked slightly incoherent. At times, Juma’at Jantan and Raihan Rahman did not seem like they were on the same page with misplaced passes and miscommunication. Isa Halim also looked sluggish in this outing. He was not his usual bustling, hard-tackling self and seemed to struggle with his fitness in the second half as he was substituted with Firdaus Kasman.

Granted, it was a controlled performance against a team that placed seventh in last year’s Malaysian Super League. However, the LionsXII will need to improve their fluency in offence if they are to achieve their stated aim of a top-five finish.

Johor FC head coach Devan Kuppusamy felt that the first season for the LionsXII is “going to be tough” and that the team simply “have to get better.” He believed that a top-seven finish would be realistic for the LionsXII.

Sundramoorthy was under no illusions either.

“For our boys, it is not going to be a stroll in the park, it is going to be a battle all the way,” said Sundram.

It was also clear that Sundram could not wait for the season to begin.

“I always wanted to get it started and I think Kelantan is the best team in the league. However, I believe in my boys that they can compete,” he said.

Final Score
LionsXII 1 Johor 0

Scorers
LionsXII — Shahril Ishak (57′)

Singapore LionsXII Starting Lineup
Izwan Mahbud, Baihakki Khaizan, Safuwan Baharudin, Irwan Shah, Juma’at Jantan, Hariss Harun, Isa Halim, Raihan Rahman, Shahdan Sulaiman, Shahril Ishak, Agu Casmir

Looking for the LionsXII’s fixtures? All here: Singapore LionsXII fixtures

 Loading ...