B Boys Bullets denied victory by Mother Nature

30th Jan 2012

The Bowen Bullets B Boys team proved their worth in their match-up against Sembawang Secondary School in a North Zone Inter-Schools Group C match this afternoon but when confronted by Mother Nature, they were no match for her wrath. With just 15 minutes to go, the Bullets were leading 3-1 when a heavy downpour from dark ominous clouds forced the match to be abandoned.

The Sembawang Secondary team, buoyed by their home ground advantage and boisterous supporters, started the match brightly and caused a few scares. Their best chance fell to Sembawang no. 7 midfielder who somehow ballooned the ball skywards with a gaping goal in front of him, after some good work down the left flank.

But it was the Bullets who drew first blood at the quarter-hour mark. From a free kick by left winger Royzat, the Sembawang goalkeeper palmed the ball out to a waiting Muhd Ali, who kept his cool to avoid a tackle in the penalty box and slot home the first goal. Sembawang tried to offer a reply, mostly through long balls into the path of their attackers. All they managed, though,  was to get Bullet Muhd Azfar booked for a tackle from behind.

Bowen’s defence altered their formation to deal with the long balls, expecting Sembawang to  come hard at them in the 2^nd half. Yet, it was the Bullets who found joy from a quick counter-attack off a Sembawang corner kick in the 46^th min. Royzat gathered a ball knocked into his path from the corner kick and relayed it into the feet of Muhd Arsyad who showed exceptional tenacity to bulldoze his way into the penalty box for Bowen’s 2^nd goal.

Sembawang pulled a goal back from a free kick awarded for an unnecessary “arm-on-the-back” foul by substitute Muhd Shayid, which could have been prevented if right-back Muhd Akhsan had cleared the ball when he had the chance. The in-swinging free-kick was floated nicely behind the defenders and the ball evaded the attention of keeper Casimir to bounce into the Bullet’s net.

As the dark clouds loom and rain began to drizzle, the Bullets went further ahead in the 59^th min. Royzat waltzed his way to the left corner and crossed the ball for Muhd Shayid to tap in the ball for 3-1.

5 minutes later, the lightning alarm sounded. The inclement weather meant that the match will be postponed and it will be replayed with the scores reset to 0-0. Unlucky as the Bullets may be, it provided Coach Lim valuable insights to the team’s strengths and weaknesses. The Bullets are warming up to their task. They just hope Mother Nature will not turn against them again.

Man-of-the-Match:  Goalkeeper, Casimir Ng who made some decent saves and kept Bowen in the game.  A close second is Royce Chua who hardly put a foot wrong; a towering performance as well in the centre of defence

Line-up: Casimir, Ahksan, Shafiq, Royce, Hanafi, Ali, Royzat, Azfar, Renyu (Shayid), Prem, Arsyad

Junior Bullets turned on the style to down Siling Secondary School

26th Jan 2012

C Div Boys: Siling Sec 0 - Bowen Sec 5

The U-14 boys from Bowen Secondary sent a warning message to the other teams in Group D of the North Zone Inter-Schools C Division Boys Competition this afternoon when they thrashed Siling Secondary School 5-0 at home.

The emphatic scoreline reflected the dominance the junior Bullets had over their opponents throughout the match, with much of the play happening in the Siling's half. Some of the Bullets' attacking play was impressive to watch as their one-touch football opened gaps in the Siling defence regularly.

Striker Javier Ho became the toast of the moment after he scored the first 4 goals, mostly off delightful assists from strike partner, Muhd Afiq. A precise move on the left flank in the 6th min saw Muhd Afiq cross the ball to an onrushing Javier to guide the ball into an empty net. Another pass from midfield just before half-time cut the Siling defence like knife through butter and Javier arrived in time to confront the Siling goalkeeper with a cool finish for a 2-goal lead.

Javier's speed continued to trouble the Siling defence after the restart and in the 38th min, he nodded the ball into goal after the Siling defenders failed to clear the ball hovering in the penalty box. With a comfortable lead, the Bullets did not rest on their laurels. Instead, they continued to attack while skipper for the day, Muhd Akmal held the fort in defence to restrict Siling to just one shot at goal. Livewire Muhd Afiq added finesse to the proceedings, making penetrative runs and defence-splitting passes, one of them helping Javier to his fourth goal in the 51st min. The tireless running took a toll on Afiq and he had to retire from the match with cramps, with 10 min of the match to go.

Muhd Danial put the icing on the cake on a good afternoon for the Bullets when he made space for himself outside the penalty box and unleashed an unstoppable shot that burst the back of the net; it was a goal worth considering for the goal of the season.

The junior Bullets showed hunger and inventive play in their first match of the season. Hopefully, they will maintain the high standards set today and continue to display such delightful football against Hougang Sec next Tuesday.

Man-of-the-Match: Muhd Afiq, for his clever passes, tireless running and selfless play.

Line-Up:
Rozaini, Akmal, Danial, Sureen, Adrian, Rafid, Hazim, Aizan (Riley), Afiq (Samuel), Javier, Aloysius (Saifullah)

U-17 Bullets overcome first match jitters to record win

25th Jan 2012











Bowen Bullets 4 - Yishun Town Secondary 0


The senior Bullets took to the field at Serangoon Secondary this afternoon to gain a nervous victory over Group C opponent Yishun Town Secondary. Based on the Bullet’s laboured first half display, perhaps owing to the long Chinese New Year break , the 4-0 result was indeed flattering.

The Bullets opened accounts in the 10th minute when captain Muhd Ali floated a free kick into the top left corner of the goal, surprising the Yishun Town custodian who stood rooted to the ground. Other than two good efforts by Muhd Azfar and Prem, the first half was one to forget.

The restart was much more eventful as the Bullets began to shed their lethargy to gain control in midfield. However, Bullets skipper became physically unwell and had to retire from the game, forcing Coach Lim to reshuffle the midfield with Muhd Arsyad coming on. The second goal was late but helped calmed the team down further. Karthik latched on to a pin ball in the penalty box to slot it into an empty net in the 51st min.

In the 72nd min, left winger Royzat floated a perfect high ball into the path of Prem who collected the ball well outside the box and proceeded to place the ball beyond the reach of the Yishun Town goalkeeper. 3 minutes later, forward Karthik put the result beyond doubt for a comfortable score line.

It was a below-par team performance but the 3 points were well-deserved against an opponent that was clearly inferior to the Bullets. More challenges are ahead with the next tie against Sembawang Secondary School next Monday.

Man-of-the-Match: Muhd Azfar for his all-out action in bossing the midfield area.

Line-up:
Casimir, Hanafi, Akhsan, Royce, Shafiq, Ali (Arsyad), Azfar, Royzat, Renyu (Hakim), Karthik (Shayid), Prem