It was as good a Friday can be

Match Review: Sengkang Punggol vs HUFC

"While many had thought the writing was already on the wall for Sengkang before the match had even begun, Home may rue their missed chances, as they had the lion’s share of chances throughout the night."

It was literally a very Good Friday for Home United as they clinched the winner with a hard-fought 1-0 win over a rejuvenated Sengkang Punggol.

The team that had been selected by coach Vincent did ring a couple of surprises: the team lined up in a 4-3-1-2 formation for the first time, as Hairul Hadar made his debut at left back, coming in for Juma’at who had suffered a minor injury while during training. While many had thought the writing was already on the wall for Sengkang before the match had even begun, Home may rue their missed chances, as they had the lion’s share of chances throughout the night.

Sengkang were no mugs and came out with a game plan to foil Home’s attack. The Protectors though never let up and produced the first chance of the evening when Qiu Li shot wide from outside the box. Indra could have put Home into the lead when after beating the offside trap, he shot just wide of Amos Boon’s left post. It was the shape of things to come as Home’s ex-keeper Amos produced numerous saves. Mohamed Mardani in particular showed why he gets better with age, as he kept the strikers quiet for over an hour. He proved difficult to breach as he had to hack Rosman’s crosses clear on two occasions, and then make an attempt to block Qiu Li as he tried a first-time effort.

As the half wore on, things begun to get a little interesting, as both teams were up for the challenge as they fought for every ball. Fouls and booking came in thick and fast. Both Indra and Jia Yi tried pot shots against Amos, but found the man in uncompromising mood as he brilliantly tipped away their efforts. Both teams emerged from the dressing room as they looked to do another 45-min battle. The players would probably have to work on the crosses a little bit more, as both teams were guilty of not using them effectively, with lofted balls going straight to either keeper. Sengkang to their credit did have moments of their own where they threatened to score, but somehow could not find the net. Haris Sumri nearly put his former team to the sword as he robbed Diakite of possession, but blasted his shot way wide. Diakite had early produced a shot of the highest quality when he found space to test Amos 30 yards out, but Amos denied him once more. Qiu Li had his chip crash off the bar on 57 mins before going off to be replaced by Kone.The goal that fans had long been waiting for finally arrived on 70 minutes. Jia Yi set Hairul free with a raking pass down the left, who in turn made a first time cross. The ball should have been cleared by Tinkler, but it dropped and fell on so kindly for Shahril Ishak, who gleefully nipped in and stabbed the ball past Amos.

Resilience and discipline have kept Home in check, while Sengkang and Angelucci in particular began to get frustrated. The Protectors had another good chance to add to the score in injury time, but Diakite miscued his shot badly, after Ludovick’s cutback. Not that the players are overly concerned though. Barring a few minor adjustments, the squad can well and truly go far. Next up, Woodlands away. Keep the momentum going, lads.