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Gallant Dolphins held by late Etoile goal
Paul Green
info@sleague.com
Sengkang Punggol showed French newcomers Etoile FC in Wednesday night’s televised Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League match at Jalan Besar Stadium that local teams are more than capable of matching the skilful Europeans, and victory won’t come easily for the newcomers against the existing clubs.
The French needed to come from behind twice, on the second occasion deep into stoppage time, to eventually salvage a point with a 2-2 draw, when it had looked for a while as if Jordan Webb’s goal 12 minutes from time had been enough to earn the Dolphins a heroic win.
Starting without two injured regulars, namely skipper Nor Azli Yusoff and Abdoulaye Diallo, Sengkang gave a first start to Sim Li Ming, who had an outstanding game until an injury right at the end forced his departure.
Sengkang coach Aide Iskandar was full of praise for the youngster, as he was for the rest of his side.
“It was a great debut by the boy and I was very pleased with him,” said the former Singapore international.
“Drawing this game today felt like a loss, though,” he added.
“The team is very young, and some of the players need to learn when to slow the tempo and keep possession. If they had done that we would probably have won.
“The improvement in this team on last year is due to the faith the management placed in me as a young coach and the faith they showed in the young players we have assembled this year.
“There are around 20 players in the squad and I am expecting all of them to play their part for us this season, so it’s not just about the players who were out there today.”
Sengkang’s stand-out individuals this time were goalkeeper Fadhil Salim once again, stand-in captain Murphy Wiredu and exciting wingman Jordan Webb.
A spate of cautions throughout the game threatened to put a dampener on the enthusiasm of both teams, but fortunately there were no second cautions and both teams finished with their full complement of players on the field.
Etoile chairman Johan Gouttefangeas felt that the game was spoiled by its stop-start nature and the abundance of fouls and free kicks, which made it a poor spectacle.
But most fans at the stadium might disagree, as there was rarely a lull in the 90 minutes of all-action football which produced some smart goals.
Sengkang’s young side showed commendable composure and willingness to run at their opponents.
According to Etoile coach Patrick Vallee, the Dolphins played the perfect counterattacking game.
“We are still in pre-season mode ourselves, really, and some of the players were getting tired very early after twice-daily training, and some have also found it difficult adjusting to the artificial pitch,” he said.
“We are looking at bringing in two more experienced players to boost the squad very soon as well.”
There was only one change in the Etoile side that had beaten Beijing Guoan 1-0 in their opening game, left-sided defender Karim Boudjema coming in at the expense of Nordine Talhi, who eventually came on as a substitute.
But perhaps the introduction of Anthony Moulin, after Sengkang’s second goal was scored, was the more significant change, at least in the eyes of the Etoile management.
Etoile made much of the early running but could not score the goals they were looking for. Captain Matthias Verschave, for instance, headed wide after only five minutes from a good early cross from Brice Morandini on the left, much to the relief of the Sengkang defence, especially goalkeeper Fadhil.
“We might have scored three or four goals in the opening half-hour,” said coach Vallee.
“Then it might have been a different story altogether.”
But they didn’t.
Verschave also had an even earlier header which deflected for a corner.
After 21 minutes a superb reflex save by Fadhil from a shot by Frederic Mendy kept the French at bay once more.
Sengkang thought they might have had a penalty a little later, after Webb worked his way into the six-yard box only to come down under a heavy challenge from Loic Leclerq, but referee Abas Daud showed no interest in the appeal.
The Dolphins hit the lead anyway 15 minutes later, after Webb and Wiredu had combined to send Moussa Keita through.
The speedy striker showed great confidence to skip past the last man and plant the ball beyond the reach of Etoile keeper Yohann Lacroix.
Another top-drawer reflex save by Fadhil from a close-range effort by Mendy on 42 minutes, following a fine cross from Verschave, preserved Sengkang’s slender half-time lead.
Mendy found the net eventually just before the hour mark, after being played in by Flavien Michelini, once Julien Deletraz had won the ball well inside the Sengkang half.
It was a cool finish and a quality goal, no doubt, and looked likely to lead to more goals as Etoile were beginning to show signs of their class.
But the Dolphins fought back doggedly, denied on 75 minutes only by a great save from Lacroix, who flung himself across his goal to send a goal-bound header from Shahir Hamzah beyond his far post, after a good cross from Duncan Elias had arrived from the right.
That let-off only encouraged Sengkang to redouble their efforts and Webb, benefitting from a visionary through pass by Wiredu down the right, got into the area before sending a low shot across the keeper and in at the far post.
Sengkang almost got a third goal on 85 minutes as substitute Farizal Basri saw his low shot pushed around the post by the ever-alert Lacroix.
Etoile substitute Moulin headed over in the final minute of normal time from a cross by Michelini, but as four minutes of stoppage time was yet to come all was not lost for the French, as Sengkang were soon to discover.
Mendy did well to get to the left by-line and sent a cross over to the far post where, this time, Moulin nodded back for Verschave to head into the net, much to the anguish of the Dolphins defence.
Was a draw a fair result for the French?
“Well we didn’t deserve to lose,” offered chairman Gouttefangeas.
Aide would add that his team did not either.
And on this occasion, as he had opined, a draw for him felt like a loss. |
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