SAFFC beat Home United to triumph again in uniform derby

Story by REDintern Dan Azmie. Photos by Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports.

Choa Chu Kang Stadium, Wednesday, March 4, 2009 – Singapore Armed Forces FC continued their perfect start to the season when they convincingly beat fierce rivals Home United 3-1 in the S.League Football Championship.

Ahmad Latiff Khamarudin (SAFFC, #7) opened the floodgates with a header in the 39th minute, before Shi Jiayi (Home United, #7) equalized from the penalty spot after 50 minutes. However, SAFFC responded with two similar-looking goals from Singapore internationals Daniel Bennett (SAFFC, #16) and John Wilkinson (SAFFC, #10) at the 61st and 91st minute respectively to clinch the uniform derby for the Warriors.

The match started tentatively, with both sides having a feel of the slippery field peppered by a sudden drizzle prior to the match, and it was not until the 8th minute that the first chance came.

Left-back Rosman Sulaiman (Home United, #14) found himself bamboozled by the quick feet of Ahmad Latiff before upending him 25 yards on the far left of the field. From the resulting free-kick, Shaiful Esah (SAFFC, #2) let fly a shot which Home custodian Lionel Lewis (Home United, #18) had to parry away.

Shaiful Esah was at it again a minute later, when he somehow contrived to nutmeg a Home United defender, and with a half-chance presented, he spurned the opportunity by shooting wildly with his unfavored right foot.

What transpired next was a tactical game of counter-attacking from both uniform sides, but what was conspicuous was the apparent lack of bite in the killer pass in the final third.

Buoyed by the home support, the Warriors again tried to break the deadlock on 15 minutes, when Kenji Arai (SAFFC, #3) displaced Kegne Ludovick (Home United, #10) before launching a counter attack, aiming the ball towards team top-scorer Aleksandar Duric (SAFFC, #9). Duric executed a quick one-two with new signing Park Tae Won (SAFFC, #18) before finding Wilkinson, who unleashed a trademark low piledriver from outside the box, which again had to be parried away by Lewis.

SAFFC again probed for a goal on 21 minutes, when a sweet through ball by 36-year-old playmaker Therdsak Chaiman (SAFFC, #8) found Park sprinting past the offside trap. However, Lewis kept his concentration and smothered before Park could dink it over him.

The tempo of the game petered off somewhat after that chance, with both teams losing possession continually.

The game needed a goal, and it duly happened in the 39th minute, when an in-swinging cross from the impressive Shaiful Esah from the far left was met perfectly by Ahmad Latiff who shook off his taller marker and planted a header underneath Lewis to make it 1-0.

The slack defending by Home United was evident as Ahmad Latiff capped of a lively first half performance with this goal against the Protectors. Last season, he proved to be Home United’s bogeyman as he scored the only goal in a title-clinching win at Jalan Besar Stadium.

The first half whistle came soon after, and Home coach P N Sivaji was left scratching his head at the disjointed performance by his team, and he needed to sort things out quick.

This led to a tactical shift towards a more attacking 4-4-2 formation, with Home United winger Itimi Dickson (Home United, #12) taken off for targetman Norikazu Murakami (Home United, #9) for his debut.

Murakami was a man on a mission, as he was facing his former side on their home turf.

The script was set aptly on 50 minutes, when Masahiro Fukasawa (SAFFC, #6) caught Murakami just inside the penalty box, causing him to tumble over. The referee took a few seconds to deliberate before pointing to the spot, to wild protests by SAFFC players.

Jiayi kept his cool and slotted past Shahril Jantan (SAFFC, #14) to make it all square.

Former Singapore international Ahmad Latiff once again continued his impressive performance by creating two chances in two minutes, but both times, his finishing deserted him, as he tried to drag SAF back into the lead. Such runs by the maverick player certainly did not delude the attentions of National coach Radojko Avramovic who was sitting near the Press box assessing his top players.

Home United finally capitulated under the pressure on 50 minutes. Another dangerous free-kick by Shaiful Esah targeted at Duric was headed out by a Home United defender, only finding Bennett at the top of the box. He promptly slashed the ball to the left of Lewis to make it 2-1 to the Warriors. Lewis was visibly upset with himself as in all honesty, he could have covered the angle.

Home needed a lifeline to get their gameplan up and running, and they got just that after 72 minutes. A 50-50 ball in the middle of the park resulted in Ahmad Latiff catching Shi Jiayi with a rash studs-first challenge. To the dismay of the player and his teammates, the referee promptly displayed him the red card, sparking a furore in the stands at the controversial nature of the incident. The sending off was perhaps a slightly harsh decision, as Ahmad Latiff trudged off. He was the best player on the pitch, and what a way to cap off his day.

Despite being a man down, SAFFC did not let Home have any space to create chances, and apart from an acrobatic volley by Murakami on 87 minutes, Home could just not create adequate chances to test the Warriors’ resolve.

In injury time, John Wilkinson put the icing on the cake for SAFFC with a similar move to the earlier goal. Therdsak chipped a free-kick from the right to Duric in the box who showed great awareness to head it back to the top of the penalty box. A waiting Wilkinson gleefully chose his spot, with Home custodian Lewis left exposed again.

3-1 to SAFFC and they now have won their first three games of the season to consolidate their place at the top of the S.League table.

SAFFC now look forward to the upcoming adventure in their maiden AFC Champions League campaign, Asia's most prestigious club competition, and the win provided a timely psychological boost to Richard Bok’s men.

Final Score
SAFFC 3
Ahmad Latiff Khamarudin 39′, Daniel Bennett 61′, John Wilkinson 90′
Home United 1
Shi Jiayi 50′(p)

Line-up

SAFFC
14 Shahril Jantan (GK)
2 Shaiful Esah
3 Kenji Arai
4 Hafiz Osman (13 Razaleigh Khalik 89′)
6 Masahiro Fukasawa
7 Ahmad Latiff Khamarudin
8 Therdsak Chaiman
9 Aleksandar Duric (C)
10 John Wilkinson
16 Daniel Bennett
18 Park Tae Won (19 Mustaqim Manzur 80′)
Subs not used: Toh Guo’An, Guntur Djafril, Syed Karim, Zulfadli Zainal Abidin

Home United
18 Lionel Lewis (GK)
3 Ismail Yunos
6 Shahril Alias (4 Juma’at Jantan 64′)
7 Shi Jiayi
8 Tengku Mushadad (15 Fadzuhasny Juraimi 78′)
10 Kengne Ludovick
12 Itimi Dickson (9 Norikazu Murakami 46′)
13 Valery Hiek
14 Rosman Sulaiman (C)
17 Shahril Ishak
20 Peres de Oliveira
Subs not used: Ridzuan Fatah Hassan, Syed Fadhil, Azhar Sairudin, Firdaus Idros

Cautions
SAFFC: Hafiz Osman 68′
Home United: nil

Expulsions
SAFFC: Ahmad Latiff Khamarudin 75′
Home United: nil