Bullets stage mighty comeback to reach North Zone Final

31st Mar 2015

The victorious Bowen Bullets saluting their supporters after the match

The C Div boys from Bowen Secondary School made history this afternoon at the Yishun JC grounds, coming from 1-0 down to record a rare but impressive victory over 2014 Runner-up Sengkang Secondary School in the NZ Inter-Schools Football semi-final. Two goals in the space of seven minutes late in the second half  helped the Bowen Bullets complete a dogged fightback and qualify for the finals.

The match did not start well for the Bullets as they struggled with the slippery surface, a result of an an earlier downpour. And they made things more difficult for themselves by missing clearances and allowing Sengkang to dominate the earlier exchanges.

A last check by the referee before the kick-off

Things took a turn for the worse when defensive stalwart Harith Aniq fell awkwardly while making a defensive clearance. His resulting injury saw him carried off the field on a stretcher and replaced by Noor Rifat in the 10th minute.

Two minutes later, Aniq's absence in central defence was cruelly exploited by Sengkang. A through-ball managed to worm its way behind the Bowen back four and Sengkang chief striker took the chance to direct the ball past a stranded Bullets keeper Desmond Ong into the goalmouth.

Bowen Bullets starting line-up against Sengkang Sec

Bad weather halted the game momentarily but the 20-minute stoppage allowed the Bullets to regroup. When play resumed, the Bullets shot off the block like men possessed. The Bullets began to dictate the match and forced Sengkang back into their own half. When half-time came, the equaliser did not but the Bullets found encouragement in the way the opponents struggled to cope with their assertive play.

Bullets centre-back Harith Aniq taking a goal kick

The second half saw a very determined and positive Bowen side stamp their authority in the game. Skipper Muhd Zamani, playing the no.10 role, held the ball up well in the attacking third, creating a nuisance of himself in the Sengkang defence and earning free kicks in wide positions. From one of these dead-ball situations in the 43rd minute, Bullets substitute Muhd Yusri found himself in front of goal with the ball but his goal-bound effort was miraculously diverted for a corner by a defender's last-ditch block.

Bullets organising themselves to defend a dead-ball situation

Bowen's deserved equaliser finally came in the 51st minute when a quick counter-attack from the Bullets' half found Zamani pick up the ball outside the Sengkang penalty box. Using Muhd Tahalif's run on the left as a decoy, he cleverly swerved back into the centre and unleashed a missile that found the net off the left goalpost.

Bullets Vice-Captain Muhd Tahalif beating his opponent to the ball

Extra time was beckoning but the Bullets had none of that. With three minutes to go, a free kick from the left was floated into the Sengkang penalty box by Zamani. The Sengkang defence was unable to clear the ball and it fell at Yusri's feet again in a similar position.This time, he made sure to slot the ball into an empty net. The comeback was complete, sparking wild celebrations among the Bullets players and those on the bench.

Bowen	2 – 1	Sengkang
Goals Scored (Bowen only)
Muhd Zamani 51’ Muhd Yusri 57’
Substitutions
Noor Rifat  for Harith Aniq 10’ Muhd Yusri for Muhd Shafiq  40’ Elhan Akmal for Jeremy Chin 48’

Fired up Bullets secure semi-final place with hard-earned win over Serangoon Secondary

12th Mar 2015

Bullets Team huddle before the kick-off



In a tense NZ Inter-Schools C Div boys encounter this afternoon, the Junior Bullets put up a courageous performance to gun down Serangoon Secondary School 2-0 at their opponents' home ground. The home side, 2nd runner-up in the competition last year, were no match for the Bowen Bullets who are just about peaking at the right time.

"We PROMISE!"



Both sides started with clear intent to dominate but there was no clear winner. For every attempt at goal that Serangoon Sec mustered, the Bullets were equal to it, creating their own chances from outside Serangoon's penalty box.

The Bullets' efforts finally bore fruit in the 11th minute when Bullets skipper Muhd Zamani collected a square pass outside the box, swerved to the right to beat his marker and unleashed a pile driver towards goal. Like a bullet, the shot found its way through the Serangoon goalkeeper's hands and burst the back of the net.

From left (in blue): Muhd Tahalif, Ithar Nur Irfan, Mohd Shakir, Harith Aniq



Two minutes later, Bullets striker Jeremy Chin found himself space for a clear shot from close range but his tame effort was easily gathered by the keeper.

In the 2nd half, the Bullets worked well to maintain their defensive shape, foiling Serangoon's attempts at getting the ball to their chief striker. The Bullets midfield stood firm to frustrate the home side and although there were a few close calls, Serangoon Sec was unable to create any clear cut chances.

Bullet Jeremy Chin (in blue) getting first to the ball



Four minutes from the end, Muhd Zamani put the result beyond doubt. Bullets midfielder Muhd Fareez robbed the ball in midfield and drove through to place the ball onto Zamani's path behind the last defender. With one deft touch, Zamani pushed the ball forward and side-footed the ball beyond the keeper's reach.

Bullets Muhd Zamani placing the ball for a free kick



The victory confirmed the Bullets' top placing in the quarter-finals group, regardless of what happens in the other match between Spectra Secondary and Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary. And that means the C division Bowen boys have also qualified for the National rounds of the inter-schools football competition.



Bullets defender Tang Guan Yu keeping a close watch on his opponent

 

Serangoon	0 – 2	Bowen
Goals Scored (Bowen only)
Muhd Zamani 11’, 56’
Substitutions
Muhd Aniq for Muhd Shafiq 58’ Noor Rifat  for Ithar Nur Irfan  59’



Ahmad Ibrahim waylaid by determined Bullets

10th March 2015

The Bullets starting line-up

After losing precious points in their first quarter-final match, the junior boys from Bowen Secondary School left no stone unturned this afternoon in their second match at Serangoon Secondary School, securing a convincing 3-1 win over Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School.

Bullets keeper Desmond Ong directing the Bowen defence

The Bullets pressed early in the match and prevented Ahmad Ibrahim (A.I) from building up any tempo. The lethargic A.I defence seemed overwhelmed by the Bullets' onslaught and finally succumbed in the 10th min. Bullets striker Muhd Zamani was at the right place at the right time to hammer the ball into the goal from close range after two consecutive shots at goal ricochet into his path.

Bullets striker Jeremy Chin outnumbered in A.I territory

The goal encouraged the Bowen boys to attack with more fervour but A.I stood firm till the half-time whistle. Instead, right-back Tang Guan Yu collected a yellow card for a needles raised leg that plunged into an A.I. midfielder.

The second half began in the same fashion and A.I again crumbled under pressure. In a 1-minute spell, they conceded 2 more goals to the Bullets. First, left-back Mohd Shakir's stiff grounder from outside the penalty box after a weak clearance saw the ball escaping everyone, including the A.I goalkeeper, into goal. Straight after the re-start, the Bullets won possession and had the A.I defence in sixes and sevens. Bullets midfielder Muhd Fareez latched on to a lose ball outside the penalty box, directed the ball past an onrushing defender and sliced the ball beyond the reach of the A.I goalkeeper for the Bullets' 3rd goal.

Bullets centre-back Harith Aniq launching a goal kick into enemy territory

With a comfortable lead, the Bullets committed the mistake of losing their focus. In the 51st minute, A.I skipper was allowed to advance into a shooting position and he let go a searching shot that slipped in between the left post and the fully stretched arms of Bullets' goalkeeper Desmond Ong.

Bullets leftback Mohd Shakir (with ball) getting out of a tight situation

Bowen	3 - 1	Ahmad Ibrahim
Goals Scored (Bowen only)
Muhd Zamani 10’ Muhd Shakir 43’ Muhd Fareez 44’
Substitutions
Noor Rifat for Tang Guan Yu 25’ Muhd Shafiq  for Elhan Akmal  40’ Muhd Yusri for Jeremy Chin 54’

Two points lost as Junior Bullets suffers from dodgy refereeing

5th Mar 2015

The Junior Bullets began their quarter-final group phase with a 2-2 draw against home side Spectra Secondary School this afternoon. In a well-contested match marred by some contentious refereeing decisions, the Bullets were heading towards a well-deserved victory when referee Ashokraj pointed to the penalty spot in the very last minute, giving Spectra a share of the points.

Bullets Coach Lim Queen Cher leading the pre-match cheer

The Bullets had most of the possession in the first half as Spectra retreated in numbers. In the 5th minute, Bullets striker Jeremy Chin scored his first goal of the inter-schools tournament when he forced the ball home following a corner kick from the right.

But in the second half, the man in black made 2 contentious penalty decisions that resulted in goals for Spectra. The first one in the 35th minute saw a foul at the edge of the penalty punished with a spot kick. Bullets custodian Desmond Ong went the right way but his effort was futile.

Bowen Bullets starting line-up

In the 40th min, Bullets skipper Muhd Zamani was through on goal via a long pass from centre-back Harith Aniq who was consequently chopped down by his marker. The referee brought the play back for a free-kick instead of playing advantage, much to the chagrin of the Bowen bench.

Bullets captain Muhd Zamani leading the charge upfront

But Zamani was not to be denied 5 minutes later, when he romped down the right to beat his marker and unleashed an unstoppable shot above the Spectra keeper and into an empty net.

Bullets left-back Muhd Shakir deep in thought during the half-time talk

2-1 to the Bullets was about to be recorded as the final score in less than a minute's time. In their last attempt, Spectra won a corner and launched the ball into the penalty box. A messy melee ensued with the ball being cleared and a Spectra player down on the ground holding his chest. Referee took his time and blew for a penalty which was easily converted for a final score of 2-2.

Bullets striker Jeremy Chin being knocked from the back

Spectra	2 - 2	Bowen
Goals Scored (Bowen only)
Jeremy Chin 5’ Muhd Zamani 45’
Substitutions
Muhd Shafiq for Muhd Aniq 22’ Tang Guan Yu  for Noor Rifat  51’’