Story by Sharhind Singh/REDintern. Photos by Cheah Wenqi/Red Sports and Stefanus Ian/Red Sports.
Team SAJC celebrating after the final whistle of the match was blown. (Photo 1 © Stefanus Ian/Red Sports)
Jalan Besar Stadium, Tuesday, May 9, 2017 — St. Andrew’s Junior College (SAJC) clinched third place in the National A Division Girls’ Football Championship with a surprise 1-0 victory over Raffles Institution (RI).
Daphne Valmonte (SAJC #12) scored the winning goal for her team in the first half after 30 minutes, pouncing on a loose ball from a cross and calmly slotting it past the goalkeeper.
When asked about her goal, Daphne said: “I didn’t expect the ball to come to me. I couldn’t think at that moment, I just knew that the ball was there and I had to put it in.”
SAJC started the game without one of their main players, right-winger Claire Tay (SAJC #25), who has been playing the past few games with an ankle injury. Despite that, they started on the stronger foot, pressuring the RI backline from the front and forcing a corner less than a minute into the game.
However, RI started to dominate the game thereafter.
The trio of Amber Voo (RI #21), Rachael Seow (RI #16) and mercurial winger Ang Zi Han (RI #7) was a constant thorn in the SAJC defence. Their effective link up play led to very quick counter attacks and a majority of the possession.
The chances started to arrive for RI. The first was after 20 minutes when Ang Zi Han (RI #7) switched the ball from right to Krtyaka Khatwani (RI #10) who received it on the left before going past two defenders.
Her powerful in-swinging shot forced a save from SAJC goalkeeper Amanda Ong (SAJC #13). Within the next seven minutes, both Rachael Seow (RI #16) and Tara Coomaraswamy (RI #4) also came close to scoring. These three successive chances piled the pressure on the SAJC defence.
Against the run of play, however, SAJC stole the lead in the 30th minute. RI failed to deal with a cross from the right from Cherie Chow (SAJC #9) and Daphne broke free from her markers to slot the ball past the goalkeeper.
In the second half, SAJC coach Loh Ngiap Tai substituted Nurhannah Roslan (SAJC #7) into the game and the switch helped SAJC to have better hold up play in the final third. Her impact was immediate as within a minute, she provided a cross for Rena Ting (SAJC #10) who shot wide.
Before long, however, the front trio of RI started to dominate play again but their finishing in the final third let them down, with RI captain Amber Voo (RI #21) seeing two near post shots palmed away by SAJC keeper Amanda Ong (SAJC #13).
SAJC dug deep and defended their lead putting bodies behind the ball, and when the referee blew for full time, SAJC players and fans ran onto the pitch to celebrate their victory. Both teams acknowledged the tough game and the valiant effort put in by their opponents.
RI captain Amber Voo was clearly proud of her team and said after the game: “In terms of effort wise to bring the ball up, I think my team did really well today. No matter what, I feel like my team fought really hard today, both sides fought really hard today.”
“None of us were DSAs, none of us started off playing soccer, most of us were from uniform groups,” she added.
“Considering that we can make it this far, I’m just really proud of my team.”
Score
SAJC vs RI
First half: 1-0
Second half: 0-0 (1-0)
Scorer
SAJC
Daphne Valmonte (#12) – 1 goal
St. Andrew’s Junior College Roster
Chelsea Heng (#3), Rachel Cheah (#4), Pearl Ng (#5), Jamin Huang (#6), Nurhanna Roslan (#7), Nguyen Thu Phuong (#8), Cherie Chow (#9), Rena Ang (#10), Claudia Cher (#11), Daphne Valmonte (#12), Amanda Ong (#13), Thiara Ahmed (#15), Nadia Nur Amirah Bte Md Zainal (#16), Joy Ou (#17), Amelia Yeo (#18), Chai Xingni (#19), Chloe Hung (#20), Nikki Tan (#22), Jolene Ker (#23), Claire Marie Tay (#25)
Raffles Institution Roster
Elizabeth Wong (#3), Tara Coomaraswamy (#4), Sarah Foo (#5), Rhean Chew (#6), Ang Zi Han (#7), Genevi Lim (#8), Rachel Nicole Tan (#9), Krtyaka Khatwani (#10), Tan Shu Yan (#11), Tiffany Chee (#12), Esther Koh (#14), Nur Yasmi Bte Mohd Sidek (#15), Rachael Seow (#16), Mo Xin Mun (#17), Syuan Yeong Kaiting (#18), Neo Yi Ling (#19), Peck Hsiao Shan (#20), Amber Voo (#21), Megan Lim (#23), Genevieve Tan (#24)
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