Penalty goal puts Bullets in the quarter-finals

7th July 2015

In the final first round group match of the National Inter-Schools Football Competition at Lorong Napiri this afternoon, the junior Bullets laboured to a 1-1 draw against South Zone Champion Bartley Secondary School, thus qualifying for the quarter final group stage for the first time in the school's history.

Bullets starting line-up

The draw also meant that the Bowen Bullets have now gone 13 matches unbeaten this season, at least in normal time. However, the unbeaten run was severely threatened by Bartley Sec this afternoon as the Bullets put up a lethargic and error-strewn performance.

The fashion in which Bartley scored their goal in the 15th minute was typical of the way the match had panned out for the Bullets. A hopeful lob from a Bartley midfielder just inside the Bullets' half spent a long time in the air. And when the ball came down towards the Bullets' goal, goalkeeper Desmond Ong failed to deal with it, allowing the ball to drop behind him, bounce off the underside of the crossbar and into goal.

Bartley continued to bombard the Bullets, playing percentage football by blindly punting the ball forward whenever and wherever they could. Fortunately,it was a strategy that the Bullets saw through and managed to counter after the break. In the 2nd half, Bullets midfielders RSharveen and Mohd Shakir closed down their opponents quickly in the middle of the park,shutting out any opportunity Bartley had of putting the ball into the danger area.

Bullets right-back Tang Guan Yu taking a throw-in as team mate Aizal Murhamdani gets ready to receive

With that defensive assurance, the Bullets' attacking apex of Muhd Zamani, Aizal Murhamdani and Muhd Hisam began to wreak havoc in the Bartley half. In the 40th minute, Muhd Zamani got to the ball in the penalty box just in front of the Bartley leftback who inadvertendly bundled the Bowen skipper to the ground. The referee awarded the spot kick and Zamani converted it to set up an exciting fight to the end for a quarter-final place.

Muhd Hisam had a chance in the dying seconds from the last corner of the match to secure a win but his side-footed effort from close range went just wide. The eventual draw meant that Bowen progress to the next round while Bartley exit from the competition.

Bartley	1 – 1	Bowen
Goals Scored (Bowen only)
Muhd Zamani 40’ (pen)
Substitutions
Muhd Yusri for Tang Guan Yu 30’ Shah Sharizan for Muhd Fareez 30’

      

Bullets notched convincing win to boost hopes of quarter-final place

3rd July 2015

The junior Bullets are on the cusp of achieving yet another record in the National Inter-Schools Football Competition at Bowen field this afternoon when they defeated Kranji Secondary School 4-0 to top the standings in Group B. With one more match to go, the Bullets would need just a draw to claim the schools' first-ever quarter final berth in a football National competition.

Bullets defence clearing their lines

The Bowen boys pressed their opponents high up and limited play to their opponents' half for most of the first half. Bullets captain Muhd Zamani marked his return from a one-match ban with a brace, scoring his first goal in the 25th min when a mis-hit clearance fell onto his path in the penalty box. He slotted the ball home to ease the tension of the home team.

Bullets midfielder Aizal receiving a pass from Jeremy Chin (extreme right)

Four minutes into the 2nd half, Zamani sent a thunderous shot from a free kick outside the penalty area past a hapless Kranji keeper who was left clutching at thin air.

Bullets midfield enforcer Sharveen staying alert

With a more comfortable lead, the Bullets began to play their best football. Muhd Hisham scored his 2nd goal of the competition in as many matches after beating his marker and lobbing the ball over the Kranji keeper.

In the 41st minute, centre-back Muhd Tahalif also got his name in the scoresheet when he was earliest to the ball which cannoned off the crossbar from Zamani's rising freekick outside the penalty box.

Bullets right-back Tang Guanyu bringing the ball out of defence

The Bullets will meet Bartley Sec, the South Zone Champions next Tuesday at Lor Napiri to decide the two teams that will advance to the knockout quarter-final stage.

Bullets starting line-up

Kranji	0 – 4	Bowen
Goals Scored (Bowen only)
Muhd Zamani 25’, 34’ Muhd Hisam 39’ Muhd Tahalif 41’
Substitutions
Jeremy Chin for Muhd Aniq 30’ Azimmie Raihan for Shah Sharizan 50’ Muhd Fareez for Mohd Shakir 56’’

Controversial referee decision spoils Bullets' start in the Nationals

30th June 2015

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

  

Siglap	2 - 2	Bowen
Goals scored (Bowen only)
Harith Aniq 9’ Muhd Hisam 43’
Substitutions (Bowen only)
Shah Sharizan for Muhd Fareez 30’ Azimmie Raihan for Harith Aniq 33’ Ithar Nur Irfan for Muhd Yusri 51’