The senior Bullets boys ran out of ideas against a very competent Marsiling Secondary School team and were soundly shot down 6-2 in a winner-takes-all B Div boys match this afternoon at Marsiling Secondary School.
With the winner of the match likely to take the second quarter-final spot from Group C, the Bullets gave their all in a battle of stamina under the hot afternoon sun. The home supporters made their presence known when the match started but the Bullets were hardly intimidated.
They matched the group favourites stride for stride in the first 15 minutes, counter-attacking with much ambition and audacity. In the 19th min, the Bullets even silenced the home crowd with a goal borned out of nothing. A long ball from midfield was launched towards the Marsiling goal but with Bullets forward Prem chasing down the ball, the Marsiling sweeper panicked right in front of his onrushing goalkeeper who then missed the ball completely, leaving Prem the easiest task of scoring his 2nd goal in the competition.
However, a nightmarish 8 minutes were to follow as the Bullets conceded 4 goals in quick succession. The Bullets defence was caught ball-watching as the Marsiling attackers sprang into action. A lapse of concentration in the 31st min allowed Marsiling to pass the ball into the net from the penalty box for their equaliser. Then a left sided attempt at goal was allowed to travel across the goalmouth for a Marsiling striker to tap in from a seemingly off-side position. 2 more goals in the 37th min and 39th min, the latter coming off a free-kick, left the Bullets with an uphill task in the 2nd half.
Yet heads did not drop in the Bowen side. They fought tooth and nail and did not know how to lay down, causing 4 Bullets to go down with cramps and injuries at various points of the 2nd half. Forced into 4 substitutions, the Bullets conceded another 2 goals which almost certainly ended their dream of progressing into the next stage of the competition. Nearing the end, Muhd Arsyad earned a penalty when the Marsiling goalkeeper barged into him in the penalty box, leaving the Bullets forward in a heap. Royzat scored from the penalty to put some respect in the scoreline but it was too little too late.
The loss was a blow to the senior Bullets who had set their target on a top four finish. But they showed resilience and tenacity in the match to keep on fighting under a difficult situation. The next match against Sembawang Secondary would now be an academic exercise but try telling that to the Bullets who will definitely want to bow out of the competition in style.
Man-of-the-Match: Royce Chua. Towering in defence and cut out several dangerous passes from the home team.
Line-up: Izz, Hilman, Royce, Hakim (Shayid), Hanafi (Yi En), Royzat, Shafiq, Azfar (Renyu), Karthik (Arsyad, Kenneth), Ali, Prem (Dinesh)
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