Junior Bullets give home crowd reason to cheer with 4-0 victory

26 Feb 2015

Bullets Centre-back, Harith Aniq (no.10), rising to head the ball

The C Div boys from Bowen Secondary School signed off on their preliminary round matches with a comprehensive 4-0 win over North Vista Secondary School this afternoon on their own turf and stayed top of Group B in the NZ Inter-Schools Football Tournament.

Bullets right-back,Tang Guang Yu (no.4), throwing the ball into play

The North Vista Soccerites were playing for pride, having been knocked out of contention after their first two matches. And they brought the game to the Bullets, pressing diligently high up the pitch with 3 players upfront. Space was at a premium for Bowen's attack of Jeremy Chin and Muhd Zamani,so the Bullets' first goal had to come from an unlikely source in the 23rd minute.

Bullets midfielder, Ithar Irfan (no.11), preparing to score the Bullets' first goal

Playing on the right of midfield, Bullet Ithar Irfan who had a torrid time against Sembawang Sec, bulldozed his way into the North Vista penalty box after receiving a return pass from striker, Jeremy Chin. With time on his side, Irfan coolly swept the ball across the North Vista goalkeeper and into goal off the far post.

Scorer Ithar Irfan (right), receiving congratulations from team mate Muhd Shakir

The elation from the goal died immediately after Jeremy Chin was shown a yellow card in the 26th minute for a swing of his arm at his marker whose shirt pulling antics were sorely missed by the referee.

A minute later, Irfan got himself into another one-on one face-off with the North Vista goalkeeper but this time he miscued his shot out for a goal kick.

The Bullets listening attentively during the half-time pep talk

The 2nd half saw the boys from North Vista slowly losing steam, which coincided with the rise of Bullets skipper Muhd Zamani. His curling free kick in the 41st minute from just outside the left side of the penalty box was totally misjudged by the North Vista custodian and flew into the goalmouth for the Bullets' 2nd goal.

Bullets Captain Muhd Zamani, scoring Bullets' 2nd goal from a free kick.

Zamani's speedy runs into the North Vista's penalty area from the right flank was constantly causing problems for the visitors' defence and in the 45th minute, he scored his team's 3rd goal, firing an angled shot from the right past the goalkeeper.

Bullets striker Jeremy Chin (left), and Muhd Zamani, anticipating a throw-in from Muhd Shakir (no.6)

As the pace of the game slowed down with 3 minutes to go, Zamani completed his hat-trick in style, directing a stiff shot into an empty net from just outside the penalty box.

Bullets Muhd Aniq Akmal, jumping the highest to meet a floated corner kick 

Over the 5 matches in the preliminary round, the Bullets have scored 25 goals and conceded only one, and that coming from a penalty. The Bullets' name will be entered into the draw for the quarter-finals and they shall await tougher challenges ahead.

 

	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
Bowen Sec	5	5	0	0	25	1	24	15
Marsiling Sec	5	3	1	1	10	3	7	10
Sembawang Sec	5	3	1	1	10	4	6	10
North Vista Sec	5	2	0	0	12	9	3	6
Yishun Sec	5	1	0	4	3	21	-18	3
Siling Sec	5	0	0	5	0	22	-22	0



 

NZ Inter-Schools C Div Boys Group B Final Standings

 

 



Bullet Muhd Tahalif (no. 5) dancing his way into the penalty box

Bowen	4 - 0	North Vista
Goals Scored (Bowen only)
Ithar Irfan 23’ Muhd Zamani 41’, 45’, 57’
Substitutions
Muhd Aniq for Jeremy Chin  46’ Muhd Azimmie for Tang Guan Yu  46’ Muhd Azhar for Muhd Shafiq 55’ Elhan Akmal for Ithar Irfan 55’

Junior Bullets book quarter-final place with win over Sembawang Sec

24 Feb 2015

The junior Bullets maintained their unbeaten run in the Inter-Schools C Div Boys Competition this afternoon after brushing off the challenge of their host, Sembawang Sec with a 3-1 victory.

The Bullets warming up

Coming off a one-week Chinese New Year break, the Bullets fought off initial lethargy to race into a 3-0 lead before halftime. Skipper Muhd Zamani was having a field day on the outskirts of the penalty area as he repeatedly exploited the open spaces in front of a stagnant Sembawang defence. During one of his forays in the 4th min, Zamani cut inside from the left to unleash an unstoppable curling shot into the bottom far corner of Sembawang's goalmouth for the first goal.

Bullets midfielder R Sharveen clearing the ball out of the danger area

Off a corner in the 9th min, Muhd Tahalif side-footed the ball into an empty goal from close range as Sembawang failed to clear the ball in the penalty box.

Five minutes before the half-time whistle, Bullets Zamani was again left with too much room on the left and from 30 metres out, he fired the ball into the far corner of Sembawang's goalmouth, leaving the goalkeeper still rooted to the ground.

The Bullets bench, all raring to go

Twice bitten, thrice shy as Sembawang chose to put more defenders on Zamani's tail in the second half. Once Bowen's key player was shackled, Sembawang began their fightback. They started to string some decent passes around the Bullets midfield but were left frustrated by sound defensive work from Bullets centre-half pairing of Muhd Tahalif and Harith Aniq, as well as leftback Mohd Shakir.

Bullets substitute Muhd Yusri, taking control of midfield

An unlucky handball in the penalty box from Bullets substitute Muhd Yusri who was rushing back towards his own goal saw the Bullets give away a penalty. Sembawang coolly converted the spot kick in the 48th minute to break Bullets goalkeeper, Desmond Ong's run of 3 consecutive clean sheets.

Bullets captain, Muhd Zamani finding space on the left flank

Urged on by home support, Sembawang proceeded to boss the game in midfield and forced the Bullets defence into some panicky defending. However, the Bullets held on to secure passage into the next round.

Bowen starting line-up

Sembawang	1 - 3	Bowen
Goals Scored (Bowen only)
Muhd Zamani 4’, 25’ Muhd Tahalif 9’
Substitutions
Elhan Akmal for Noor Rifat  26’ Muhd Yusri for Jeremy Chin 40’ Muhd Aniq for Muhd Shafiq 51’

Junior Bullets engineers 2-0 win over Marsiling Secondary

12th Feb 2015

It was Bowen Secondary School's first win over perennial nemesis Marsiling Secondary School in the Inter-Schools Football Competition this afternoon but the taste of victory was never sweeter.

Starting line-up for the Bowen Bullets

The junior Bullets put up a sterling performance in front of their home supporters to gain their first win over Marsiling Sec in five meetings between the two schools. Centre-back Muhd Tahalif and striker Muhd Zamani scored a goal each on either half to enhance Bowen's hopes of topping the group.

There was nothing to choose between the two teams in the first 10 minutes of the match but the Bowen Bullets slowly but surely gained the upper hand and enjoyed better possession as the match wore on. The competitiveness got the better of Bullets defensive midfielder R Sharveen in the 21st minute when he was shown a yellow card for charging recklessly into an opponent.

Marsiling goalkeeper keeping out a Bullets attempt at goal



The caution seemed to push the Bullets into a higher gear as they pressed most of the play into Marsiling's half. From a throw-in which was launched over the Marsiling backline playing very high up the field, Muhd Tahalif ghosted into the penalty box unmarked to guide the ball into an empty net.


Bullets midfielder Muhd Fareez winning an aerial duel



The 2nd half saw a more determined Marsiling side attempting to take control of the midfield but their attacks were effectively blunted by a well-marshalled defence lead by Tahalif and Harith Aniq. While the Bullets were soaking up the pressure, striker Zamani was tormenting the Marsiling defence every time the ball was in the Marsiling defensive third. His hard running finally bore fruit five minutes from the end when he pickpocketed the ball from a defender and drove down the left to steer the ball past the Marsiling goalkeeper at the near post.

Bullets getting ready to defend a free-kick







The victory has cemented the Bullets' place as one of the favourites for a quarter-final place but they have to keep their feet firmly on the ground and not get carried away. There are two more tricky games against surprise package North Vista Secondary and 2014 4th-placed team Sembawang Secondary to come.

 

The Bullets surviving a late wave of attacks from Marsiling Sec



Bowen	2 - 0	Marsiling
Goals Scored (Bowen only)
Muhd Tahalif 25’ Muhd Zamani 55’
Substitutions
Muhd Yusri for Muhd Shafiq 45’ Muhd Aniq for Noor Rifat  50’ Elhan Akmal for Muhd Zamani 58’

 

Junior Bullets hit the Siling with nine

10th Feb 2015

The C Div boys from Bowen Secondary School were on cloud nine this afternoon after hammering Siling Secondary School 9-0 in an Inter-School Boys Football match held at Punggol Secondary School.

Starting eleven for the Bowen Bullets

The early signs of a big scoreline were telling within the first five minutes of the match which was dominated by the Bowen Bullets. Skipper Muhd Zamani opened the floodgates in the 7th minute when he unleashed an unstoppable shot from outside the penalty box which almost burst the back of Siling's net.

Pre-match handshakes 

In the 20th minute, Zamani turned provider when he put through left winger Muhd Fareez who coolly slot the ball past the Siling goalkeeper.

Three minutes later, midfielder Harith Aniq finished off a delightful move after good work from Zamani down the left flank.

 

Bullets striker Muhd Zamani shielding the ball away from an opponent

 

 



The Bullets put in two more goals (Zamani in the 24th min and Muhd Tahalif in the 25th) before halftime for a commanding 5-0 scoreline.

But the Bullets did not rest on their laurels as the 2nd half saw more of the same from the Bullets and more loose defending from Siling. Zamani increased the scoreline with a turn and shot in the penalty box 5 minutes after play resumed. Then substitute Muhd Zulhilmi provided the assist for yet another goal from Zamani who overcame a one-on-one with the goalkeeper after being put through.

 

Bullets left-back Muhd Shakir throwing the ball into play





Birthday boy Muhd Tahalif then completed the rout in the 58th minute with a well-taken penalty goal after Zamani was tripped at the left edge of the penalty box.

Bullets R Sharveen taking control of the midfield



The huge scoreline was testament to the Bullets' strength and willingness to maintain the pressure on their opponents throughout the 60 minutes. However, the real test will come in two days' time when they entertain Marsiling Secondary School at home.

Siling	0 - 9	Bowen
Goals Scored (Bowen only)
Muhd Zamani 7’, 24’, 35’, 40’, 47’ Muhd Fareez 20’ Harith Aniq 23’ Muhd Tahalif 25’, 58’
Substitutions
Elhan Akmal for Muhd Aniq 31’ Muhd Zulhilmi for Jeremy Chin 31’ Brandon Chua for Harith Aniq 50’ Muhd Yusri for Ithar Irfan 59’

Senior Bullets end their campaign with a satisfying win

9th Feb 2015

In the Bowen Bullets B Boys' last group match of the Inter-Schools Football Competition held at Woodgrove Secondary School this afternoon, the Bowen boys signed off with a 2-0 victory over Punggol Secondary School.

Starting line-up for the Bowen Bullets against Punggol Sec



Knowing that the result of the match was academic since the Bullets have already been knocked out of the competition, the boy went all out nevertheless -- even if it was just to play for pride of being a Bowen Bullet.

Bullets (from left) Markus Lam, Aloysius Lee and Adrian Sim setting up a defensive wall



The boys from Punggol were evidently no match for the Bullets in every department. As early as the 5th minute, skipper Muhd Danial missed a sitter from close range after some good galloping work down the left from winger Muhd Rasydan. Rasydan, himself, floated a left foot shot towards goal 4 minutes later but it sailed just over the crossbar. On the right side, midfielder Markus Lam also got in the act in the 11th minute as his punt from the right shaved the top of the crossbar.

Bullets keeper Mohd Fazrin showing a safe pair of hands



The goal that the Bullets were looking for, finally came in the 23rd minute when Muhd Danial latched on to a through pass from defensive midfielder Adrian Sim and smashed the ball past the Punggol goalkeeper.

Bullets skipper Muhd Danial surrounded by a sea of Punggol green



The second half lost its shine as both teams seemed affected by the afternoon heat. However, Punggol were the first to go up a gear and they had a good 5-minute spell after the 60th minute. They came close to equalising but poor finishing put paid to their chances. Not to be outdone, the Bullets came out strongly after substitute Muhd Irfan came on for the tiring Muhd Rasydan. He found space for himself on the right and put in an inviting cross for the onrushing Danial to take the ball on the chest and volley it past the hapless Punggol keeper.

 

Bullets Aloysius Lee attempting a shot at goal



2-0 seemed a respectable score for the Bullets but looking at all the missed chances in the first half, the scoreline could have doubled. Nevertheless, it was an excellent way to bow out of the competition, finishing 3rd in the group after five matches, and collecting only one yellow card throughout.

Centre-back Benny Tan launching a goal kick into play

Bowen	2 - 0	Punggol
Goals Scored (Bowen only)
Muhd Danial 23’, 74’
Substitutions
David Sanjay for Markus Lam 41’ Marcus Wong for Aloysius Lee 53’ Muhd Irfan for Muhd Rasydan 65’ Damien Se for Riley Gomez 72’ Muhd Asyraf for Ithar Iqmal 77’



Junior Bullets show no signs of nerves as they thrash Yishun Sec 7-0

5 Feb 2015

On the first day of the NZ Inter-Schools C Div Boys Football Competition this afternoon, the boys from Bowen Secondary earned a confidence boosting victory over Yishun Secondary School.

The Bowen starting line-up

Playing at home, the Bowen Bullets showed little mercy for their opponents once the starting whistle was blown. Within 10 minutes, the Bullets had rocked the crossbar twice and saw several shots whizz past the goalmouth. When the first goal came in the 19th min, it was from an unlikely situation; Yishun goalkeeper fumbled with a routine pick-up of the ball to send the ball loose in front of his goal mouth and Bullets left-winger Muhd Fareez jumped in to slot the ball home.

Bullets R Sharveen leaping to head the ball

Six minutes later, Bullets centre-back Muhd Tahalif jumped highest at a corner kick

Bullets clearing their lines

to nod the ball into an empty net. Before the cheers had died down, Muhd Fareez produced a moment of magic when he lobbed the ball over a defender to himself and danced past two more defenders on the left to slot in the 3rd goal.

Yishun Sec hardly threatened and was glad the whistle for the end of the 1st half was blown.

Bullets Teacher I/Cs Mr See Shi Yau (left) and Mr Winston Chua

15 minutes into the 2nd half, Bullets skipper Muhd Zamani sped down the right flank and was upended by a Yishun defender in the penalty box just before the byeline. He picked himself up to convert from the spot for a comfortable 4-0 scoreline.

Midfielder R Sharveen then got his name in the scoresheet in the 50th min, leaving his deep midfield position to shoot from just inside the penalty box.

Bullets Harith Aniq brings the ball up as team mate Jeremy Chin looks on

As the Yishun defence began to shut down operations, substitute Muhd Yusri took advantage in the 55th minute to latched on to a stray pass and side-foot a stiff shot into the back of the Yishun goal.

Bullets celebrating a well-deserved goal

Muhd Zamani sealed the 7-0 win in majestic fashion in the last minute after some good work from strike partner Jeremy Chin to win the ball back in midfield. He then directed the ball into the space behind the Yishun defence for Muhd Zamani to rifle a goal-bound shot into the Yishun goal. 

Bowen	7 - 0	Yishun
Goals Scored (Bowen only)
Muhd Fareez 19’, 26’ Muhd Tahalif 25’ Muhd Zamani 45’ (pen), 59’ R. Sharveen 50’ Muhd Yusri 55’
Substitutions
Muhd Aniq for Noor Rifat 37’ Muhd Yusri for Harith Aniq 54’