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Dalian happy to get off with a point
Paul Green
info@sleague.com
After an absorbing and at times exciting televised match at Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday night, Dalian Shide Siwu, nominally the home team, held Gombak United to a 0-0 draw.
It was the Bulls’ fifth point in their last three games, played in a space of seven days, including a 2-2 draw against Albirex on the same ground a week earlier.
Coming off an encouraging 3-1 home win over Geylang on Monday night at their own Jurong West Stadium the result can only be described as a let-down for their supporters,
Gombak were able to field their talented young keeper, Razif Yahya, who was in doubt until the eve of the match and he pulled off some important saves.
For his trouble he won the Man of the Match award, there being very few other outstanding individual performances on the night in either side.
Defences held sway for the most part, with the well-drilled Gombak backline making it hard for Dalian to make much of an impression, other than from a few raids down the flanks early in the match.
Later, when fatigue took hold, Dalian were clinging on and hoping they could last the distance. as they struggled to find enough energy even to take a corner kick, near the end of a game where they more than matched their opponents.
While Dalian only rarely troubled the Bulls’ defence Gombak threatened a number of times, but woeful finishing cost them dearly.
Gombak coach Swandi Ahmad was a bitterly disappointed man when the match finished.
He knew that his players, by their poor finishing, had denied themselves all three points.
“We controlled the game, but they (Dalian) found a way to frustrate us. They did their homework and research; but it was definitely two points lost by us tonight.
A number of times early in the game Gombak worked themselves into the Dalian box only to fire over the bar or wide of the target.
Shafuan Sutohmoh was the first to do so in the fifth minute from 12 yards and Kingsley Njoku, while getting on the end of a nice pass from Fazli Jaffar, in the tenth, could not keep his shot down and the ball sailed over the bar.
Some clever attacking play by Dalian must have given their vocal supporters a cause for optimism in the first half but they, too, butchered their chances.
Quan Heng got away from his marker, down the right, twice in the first 15 minutes. He worked his way into the box the first time, only to clip his effort just over the bar.
Then he made a similar run and threaded a pass through for Sun Wenlong; but his team mate scuffed at the chance and Gombak keeper, Razif, was able to gather the ball before a decent shot could be found.
When Fazli robbed Dalian’s defender, Zheng Jianfeng, in the 20th minute, Gombak’s hopes rose. That was until Kingsley received the pass and fired wide.
Dalian had a great chance to take a 25th minute lead, from a free kick by Chi Jinyu, but Razif saved well and Gombak survived.
Kingsley finally got into a scoring position, without missing a chance himself, in the 45th, but this time Dalian keeper, Wang Guoming, palmed his effort around the post.
The same player then clipped another shot wide, without the intervention of the Dalian keeper and the teams went to the break locked at 0-0.
Swandi Ahmad brought on Ruhaizad Ismail for Jaslee Hatta at half time and the wide, right player caused some problems for Dalian, though, he too, could not keep his crosses on target when needed.
Ruhaizad was the recipient of a nice pass from Kingsley in the 52nd but he, too, managed to scoop the ball over the bar.
Dalian continued to attack, when they could and from a good run by substitute, Wang Dongqing, in the 56th Li Zhichao had a chance to meet the cross at the far post but his attempt to get a head to the ball was weak and the chance was lost.
Clearly tiring as the end of the game drew nearer Dalian tried to conserve energy as best they could. They found it hard to move up and down the pitch with any momentum and settled for a holding position in the middle as much as possible.
They nearly paid the price for letting Gombak dictate play over the final 20 minutes when Kingsley got into the danger zone once more, but the Dalian defenders cramped him for room and the big man’s shot was again dragged wide.
A superb saving tackle on late substitute, Ridhwan Jamaludin, in stoppage time, by Wang Liang, himself a 70th minute replacement, then kept Dalian in business.
Gombak were physically the more intimidating of the two sides; but it was in front of goal, where finesse and composure was called for, that they were found out.
Dalian Shide captain, Lu Peng, fielding questions after the game in the absence of his indisposed coach, Pei Yongjiu, was clearly happy with the point.
“We were very tired towards the end and we all felt relieved to hear the final whistle,” he said.
“Gombak played the way we expected them to and there were few surprises.
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