Eagles latest to fall in Brunei

Rano Iskandar info@sleague.com

Match Attendance: 5,949

Geylang United found their names added to the list of teams to have been defeated in the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Brunei as DPMM FC ran out 3-0 winners on Wednesday evening.

It was the Bruneians’ sixth win in as many S.League matches on the ground, as they moved to within two points of league leaders Gombak United.

DPMM started the game the more brightly of the two teams with constant incisive attacks through the middle of the Eagles defence, but nothing materialised as Baihakki Khaizan and his teammates held firm.

One such move found wingback Sairol Sahari on the left, but his cross narrowly missed out on meeting the heads of both Abdel Hamid Berguiga and Oh Ddog Yi and the Eagles easily cleared their lines.

Hafiz Rahim came close for Geylang when he managed to find himself free on the right side, where his rasping shot clipped the top of the DPMM goal.

Halfway through the first half, DPMM got the goal that they were looking for when Azwan Salleh sent in a thunderbolt to the top corner from 30 yards out, leaving Eagles keeper Yazid Yasin clutching air.

The goal injected more urgency in Geylang’s play with both Miroslav Latiak and Rastislav Belicak bossing the midfield, but Geylang were not able to create any clearcut chances.

They did come close on the half-hour mark when a quick counter attack lead by Belicak found Noor Ali in the penalty area, but the Geylang captain’s shot was turned around the corner.

From the resulting corner, DPMM cleared the ball and found Berguiga on a one on one situation with G. Lenan, and he managed to get past him easily, but not the alert Yazid.

It was Geylang who started off the second half with more intent, and they caused pandemonium in the DPMM area with a well-worked free kick, but Rene Komar was able to clear eventually.

But that was as close as Geylang came as DPMM grew in confidence and slowly took hold of the game.

The ever-impressive Berguiga got the all-important second goal when he spotted Yazid off his line and chipped from all of 30 yards to noisy rapture from the crowd, numbering just below 6,000.

His strike partner Oh put the icing on a dominating DPMM performance, after he surged into the area and placed the ball into the corner four minutes from time.

Geylang coach Mike Wong was pragmatic about his team performance, saying that mistakes at this level cost his team a result.

“It was a good game and I thought we played well till the second goal went in. We lost focus after that and some individual errors cost us the game.

“DPMM on the other played well and they deserved to win. They showed that they had the desire to win and the final scoreline proved it.”

Vjeran Simunic on the other hand was his usual euphoric self after the game.

“It was a nice game. Geylang played well and we expected them to give us a run for our money.

“It is going to be like this from now on as every team will try to beat us. In the end we deserved victory for the way we played well.”