Sports

Can Tampines Rovers out together a run of wins to pip Albirex Niigata to the S.League title? On such free-scoring form, don't bet against it. With rookie S.League coach Akbar Nawas at the helm, and a gungho attitude to boot, there seems to be a new lease of life about the Stags after his predecessor V Sundramoorthy left the post to become national football coach. Throwing caution to the wind, Tampines have now scored 10 goals in just two games under Akbar. After posting a 4-3 win over defending champions Brunei DPMM FC last week, the Stags thrashed Garena Young Lions 6-1 at Jurong West last night.

The S.League was awaiting a response from Tampines Rovers after Albirex Niigata beat Warriors FC 3-2 to lead the table by 10 points, and last night, the Stags delivered a resounding statement that they are not going to give up the title race without a fight. Delivering on his promise to deliver more attacking impetus, Tampines coach Akbar Nawas showed there can be life after V Sundramoorthy, who has now gone on to be national football coach. Forwards Fazrul Nawaz, Jordan Webb, Billy Mehmet and Jermaine Pennant all scored to win a ding-dong match in which defending champions Brunei DPMM FC seemed to have an answer for every thing the hosts through at them at the Jurong West Stadium.

So, the open secret is finally confirmed. No we are not talking about Jose Mourinho's Manchester United appointment. But coincidence or not, at roughly the same time the Special One was unveiled, the Football Association of Singapore announced at Jalan Besar yesterday that V Sundramoorthy has officially taken over as national football coach.

Just when the Cheetahs looked like they have survived the storm to take it into extra time, some controversial refereeing resulted in a late winner that knocked them out of the competition. Kogure was clearly fouled by Sirina Camara near the touchline of the Home United half, but linesman Jeffrey Goh kept his flag firmly by his side. Incensed, Hougang midfielder Raihan Rahman went in hard on Faris Ramli, who appeared to kick out in retaliation, but referee G Letchman remained unmoved and allowed play to go on.

This would be the first time an S.League club have made it into the last eight of this competition since SAFFC lost to Omani side Al Nahda 4-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals in 2008. And Tampines had to do it the hard way. From the start, they were missing three key players. Big forward Billy Mehmet was after being sent off, so was Yasir Hanapi the matchwinner against Selangor in their crucial final group game, and playmaker Shahdan Sulaiman was ruled out with a knee injury. They then went a man down when left back Shakir Hamzah collected two yellow cards in the 51st and 54th minute and was sent off with the score at 0-0.

This will go down as the worst defeat in their history of S.League participation, what more as defending champions too. And surely, their title defence is now over. In front of 1,900 fans at the Bishan Stadium, Brunei DPMM FC looked disinterested as they disintegrated and were whooped by Home United 5-0.

If Hougang United are the S.League's Leicester City, then Warriors FC coach Jorg Steinebrunner must be the equivalent of beleaguered Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal. Both are dead men walking because they don't seem to listen to anyone but themselves as they make bewildering decisions that leave their teams, both of which have illustrious histories, in precarious positions.

Needing a win to progress to the Round of 16 of the AFC Cup for the first time since 2011, a feat last accomplished by an S.League club in 2012 via Home United, the Stags rose to the occasion in front of 11,875 to beat Selangor 1-0 in their final Group E match. It was also the perfect retort to Selangor coach Zainal Abidin, who had claimed in the pre-match press conference that "the (standard of the) Malaysian league is higher than here (Singapore)." As the Malaysia Cup holders returned home with their tails between their legs, with some of their 200 travelling fans heckling their team after the final whistle, Tampines started dreaming of bigger things to come in Asia's second-tier club competition. As Group E runners-up, they will next take on Group G winners Mohun Bagan in Kolkata. The Indian side had earlier beaten Tampines 3-1 in the AFC Champions League qualifiers.

Be afraid, be very afraid. After recording the biggest win of this S.League season by spanking Balestier Khalsa 6-0 at Jurong East, and dishing out some of their best football in the process, Albirex Niigata coach Naruki Naruo insisted there was more to come from his team in the remaining half of the term.

After the Bruneians opened the scoring through Paulo Sergio, Marijan Suto (former Portugal Under-21 forward who used to be team-mates with Cristiano Ronaldo at Sporting Lisbon) almost equalised just nine minutes later. He showed good skill to spin on a six pence before firing his shot against the bar. The woodwork came to the Bruneians’ rescue again when Poh Yi Feng’s 81st-minute effort hit the post. But Suto was determined to stamp his mark on his debut and was rewarded when his 89th-minute header crept into the corner for a dramatic equaliser.