vs OVA (110606)

The boys in green have finally done it! We won our first ever game as a club. And truth be told, the 3-0 scoreline was an injustice to us as it could have easily been double that. But lets not detract from our performance.

This was our first morning game, and coming in the first weekend of the world cup, there was a genuine fear that some people would not be able to make it / wake up in time. Unfortunately, that was proven true, and we found ourselves without a 'keeper an hour before the match started. After some frantic and intense negotiation, we managed to secure the release of Muhammad Zafir on loan from his mother for the duration of the game. This boost to our morale was further supplemented by the fact that the OVA keeper was late for the game, and they had to play the first 2 minutes with a kicking back.

We started at a high tempo, and conjured our first opportunity on goal within the first 2 minutes, with PQ missing the ball by a whisker. A very thick whisker. That set the tone for the rest of the half, with Temasek in almost total dominance but not a single goal to show for it. We had some intricate play on the right flank and a few nice switches to the left. Yet incursions into the opposition D were few and far between.

Entering the half-time break, there was a genuine concern that Temasek would come up short once again. A rollicking by the effervescent Coach Nirmal ensured we would push on in the second half. We knew the attack had to start converting its chances. Jigar and Huzer also had to buck up after an unusually subdued performance from the midfield duo.

We started the second half picking up right where we left. Pouring forward every single time we had possession, the opposition was swamped by an irrepresible tide of green. Haha.. swamp and green. The irony. So back to topic, a short corner was won early in the half, and Nirmal imperiously strode forth to convert it with ease. More good play followed, with Zarir having a good shot from top-D stick-saved by the keeper when it looked like nothing but a goal. Zarir did get his just reward in due course, tapping in after some determined play by Robin and Yang Wei, and scoring a short corner via a deflection of a defender. Perhaps feeling certain of victory, Temasek took its foot off the pedal, and almost paid the with OVA finishing the stronger team, winning a few short corners and forcing a save (finally) from Zafir.

Temasek looked good in possession, moving forward at every opportunity and defending in numbers too. However, we still looked a bit rushed when attacking. We must learn to be a little more patient and to move the ball around a little bit more, before moving in for the kill. Still, it was a well-deserved win a long time in coming, and we should savour this moment and build on it.

Special mentions:

Zafir's Mum - for letting him come to make 1 save
Zafir - for making the effort to come down and help us out. And saving me from playing keeper
Nirmal - for injecting confidence into the defence, allowing the midfield to pour forward to and help the attack
Zarir - Yet again the focal point of our play, albeit this time from a more advanced position. Thus he did not influence play as much as against the Tornados, but gave us a finishing touch instead. He wins the Nirmal Singh Man of the Match Award (NSMotMA)
Mervyn - a solid performance at left half, providing us with unexpected attacking impetus from what should be our weaker side
Terence - for being the only Yr1 to make it so far, and for putting in a committed display when called upon. Did not lack the confidence to take a player on. Perhaps a "Theo Walcott" for us?

And guys / girls. C'mon, don't be shy. Leave a comment or two, especially if you can't make it. A tagboard will be appearing on these premises soon.

-Huzer