The C Div Boys from the Bowen Bullets went into their first match of the National Inter-Schools Football Competition with bright hopes and enthusiasm against Siglap Secondary School yesterday afternoon but ended the day with their fire doused by yet another woeful refereeing performance.
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| Bowen Bullets starting line-up |
Spurred on by the home supporters and the the addition of two new strikers Muhd Hisam and Aizal Murhamdani into the squad, the Bullets were hoping to make up for their North Zone final lost to the Singapore Sports School on penalties. But they were only able to manage a disappointing 2-2 draw against Siglap Secondary, the 2nd Runner-Up from the East Zone.
With the Ramadan fasting season ongoing, both teams showed signs of lethargy. The Bullets came close to opening accounts in the 8th minute when Muhd Hisam put in a low cross from the right into the Siglap penalty box. Unfortunately, his strike partner Aizal arrived too late to tap the ball into an open net.
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| Bullets striker Aizal Murhamdani taking a free kick |
It took a free kick by Bullets centre-back Harith Aniq in the 9th minute to draw first blood. The Siglap goalkeeper was slow in coming out to deal with the 40m free kick and allowed it to enter his goalmouth off the crossbar.
The excitement continued to brew as Siglap had two consecutive shots cleared from the line by left-back Mohd Shakir. Then Aizal saw his excellent effort from 30m out hit the Siglap post.
Two minutes after the break, Siglap got their equaliser from open play. The Bowen defence was cut open from good pressure by the Siglap attackers and the resulting shot found its way into goal.
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| The Bullets going for a well-deserved break with a 1-0 lead |
Invigorated by the goal, Siglap upped their tempo and pressed high. Their efforts were rewarded in the 38th minute when Mohd Shakir was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty box even though he had blocked a shot with his chest. The impact of the hit caused Shakir to lay injured on the ground clutching his chest, yet the referee awarded Siglap a penalty which was converted with much glee.
Having been used to controversial refereeing decisions that go against them this season, the Bullets again found strength to claw their way back into the game. Muhd Hisam latched on to a goal kick from Bullets goalkeeper Desmond Ong in the 43rd minute and brought the ball into the opponents' penalty box before lifting it over the onrushing Siglap keeper to gain parity again.
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| Debrief from the Bullets coach Lim Queen Cher after the match |
The chances in the game slowly went down as both teams began to feel the effects of fatigue and the heat. A draw was probably a satisfying result but the Bullets can't help wondering what could have been.
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Siglap
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2
- 2
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Bowen
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Goals
scored (Bowen only)
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Harith Aniq 9’
Muhd Hisam 43’
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Substitutions
(Bowen only)
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Shah Sharizan for Muhd Fareez 30’
Azimmie Raihan for Harith Aniq 33’
Ithar Nur Irfan for Muhd Yusri 51’
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