Congratulations to the players last Saturday for achieving our first back to back wins since Lawrence’s management. Well done lads! Keep up the good results!
I am starting off this report on a more serious note. Harold, I will mention your heroics and splendid Man of the Match performance last Saturday in the later part of this report.
Our first Core Value, “Be Respectful to your fellow Teammates, Referee and Opponents.”
I had a rude shocked when some players told me the comments they heard that came from the bench last Saturday. We were playing against a group of veterans who still have the passion to play football and only wanted a fun afternoon meeting new friends. There was certainly abuse hurled at the opposition players. Phase like “that fat one can also go pass so easily”, was hurled at one of victims who was unfortunately the subject of constant verbal abuse by someone from our bench. This unfortunate rounded and stout chap who is in his mid-50s is non-other than Mr. Leong Kok Fann. For those who don’t know who this Kok Fann is, he was the ex-Singapore International who played with Fandi Ahmad, Quah Kim Song, V Sundramoorthy. He is also the current Chairman of Geylang International FC that’s playing in the S League, Council Members of the FAS. By the way, he scored a hat trick against us last Saturday if you are unaware.
I do not wish to dive into further details of what have been said and who made those remarks but in my view, it was plain stupidity for people saying things that were totally disrespectful. Kok Fann, always as humble brushed off those remarks and continued playing with a smile. Nobody deserved that sort of abuse and whoever said that has seriously let the team down.
I also wish to take this opportunity to re-emphasis our 3 core values again that were shared and written last week. You need to start showing more respects to your fellow team mates when they are not playing as well as you think in the game. Please be generous with encouragements and give positive supports. It’s often very demoralizing if you have been constantly screamed at by players that are playing alongside you while you aren’t playing well.
FYI, only the Manager has the right to give constructive criticisms if a player is not playing well. However, I believe we are all old enough to distinguish the differences between shouting at players for instructions or tactics; telling them when not playing well and sarcasm. Players need to take certain comments positively in order to improve and play better. If anyone cannot take that, please do let me know. The Manager will and shall be the only one shouting out instructions to players from the touchline and in no other circumstances shall players from the sideline be doing the same. This has to stop as it has been ongoing for a while now. We prefer the players on the side to channel their energy to giving out encouragements and supports rather than negative comments which seriously demoralize players’ morale.
Next up, our game reports for last Saturday.
We started with the following team:-
Keeper: JP
Defense: Jiunn / SK / Lawrence / Clarence
Midfield: Harold / Lawrence / Roger / Jason / Yiong
Forward: Colin
We started the game quickest off the block. We took advantage of the age of our opposition and were playing a high tempo pressing game. Within the first 2 minutes from the start, Colin has already fired 2 shots at goal after some good work down the left flank. When facing one on one with the keeper, he took his first shot hitting the top bar and subsequently hurried another shot from his own rebound but shot wide. The opposition keeper was a relieved man after Colin had squandered 2 opportunities to give us the lead.
Hunter, the call name of our opposition this week, weathered our attacks well. They eventually matched our game strategies and managed to cause some problems to our defense. From my observation, we had lost our shape and had made life difficult for ourselves as we lost control of our midfield and our defense were overworked. Hunter scored the first goal after we had conceded a foul in our box. We lost our defensive shape after Lawrence was pulled to the left covering Clarence as he was out of position. Once Lawrence was forced to move to the left, there was a big gap in between him and SK where their player explored.
Our heads didn’t drop as we went searching for our equalizing goal. Harold was more influential as the game wore on. His balls controls and eyes for a pass was a joy to watch. It wasn’t coincidental as his decision makings and passing has been brilliant for the past 4 games or so. No surprised that Harold was the scorer on the 25 minutes. After a fine final pass from Jansen, Harold coolly nutmeg 2 defenders and the keeper to walk the ball into the net, what a way to score our equalizing goal.
In the second half, Ron and SK both missed early opportunities to bring our lead further after we had turned the screw on our opponent. Colin scored 2 goals in the space on 3 minutes from the 8th minute. A fine assist again from Harold from the right wing found Colin with the keeper to beat. He didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger and we lead 2-1. He scored his second of the day after a free kick from Ron on the 11th minutes.
Harold has the last laugh of the game after Henry was fouled in the box. He coolly converted his penalty after Lawrence was relieved from his duty after his missed last week.
Hunter scored 2 more goals to make the scoreline more respectable at 4-3. JP made a mistake by not dealing a shoot from 25 yards and the defense didn’t deal with Kok Fann where he placed an unstoppable shot from the outside the box.
Man of the match was Harold for his 2 goals and an assist to win us the game. Well done Harold!
