
With a key defender suspended and their captain struggling with an injury, St Gabriel's Secondary School's football teacher-in-charge Laura Huang was hardly confident ahead of the Schools National B Division boys' League Three final against Spectra Secondary School yesterday.
To make things worse, St Gabriel's winger Joshua Joseph suffered a cut to his face in the 21st minute and his replacement Aryan Menon was sent off nine minutes later for arguing with the referee.
However, Spectra were also reduced to 10 men in the 37th minutes when Muhammad Ryan Tsaqif received his second yellow card.
St Gabriel's regained the initiative to score through centre-back Gideon Tai (40th minute) and striker Aiman Yazid (76th) for a 2-0 win at Our Tampines Hub.
Said Huang: "The result was definitely better than what I had expected.
"Our main defender was serving a suspension and our captain sustained an injury during the semi-finals so he was limping throughout this match.
"We didn't expect to come so far, but we just kept telling ourselves to try our best.
1
St Gabriel's Secondary centre-back Gideon Tai's goal in the final was his first for the school in four years.
"Even when the situation was not advantageous to us, we did not let it get to us.
"We fought on, we never thought about giving up."
The two red cards dominated the early proceedings before Gideon curled in a superb free kick to give his team the lead on the stroke of half-time.
Spectra went in search of an equaliser in the second half, but Aiman dashed their hopes of a comeback with the second goal.
Man of the match Gideon said: "I was so excited and happy after I scored because it was almost half-time and it was my first goal for the school in four years.
"Before the game, I told my teammates that I will work as hard as I can to get the goal so I'm very happy that I scored."
Despite the loss, Spectra coach Ashraf Ariffin was proud of his team's performance.
"We started off very well, but we didn't finish our chances and then when we lost a man, the boys lost a bit of focus," he said.
"After we conceded the goal late in the first half, it was quite hard to get back into the game in the second half.
"They did all that they could and gave their best and that is all that we can ask."
Yesterday's League Three final was the first of five finals in the boys' football tournament this year.
In the preliminary rounds, all schools are split into 16 groups with five to six schools per group.
The teams are then placed in five leagues - from League One to Five - based on the positions they finished in their groups.

The Reds projected lineup for 2019. (Yahoo Sports) Who will be the Reds' fantasy breakout? Cincinnati's outfield is awfully cluttered following the team's offseason deal with the Dodgers, a
Cincinnati Reds to add minor-league team in Appalachian League

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has said his team must win their seven remaining Premier League games, to pip Liverpool to the title. City have the slight advantage in the title race, sitting top by a point after the 2-0 win at Fulham, having played the same number of games as Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola reveals what his Man City side MUST do to beat

Queen probably learned from its Queen + Paul Rodgers-era that there isn't a big appetite for new Queen songs, especially ones without Mercury's voice. Lambert is surely aware of that — and of the fact that almost no one remembers The Cosmos Rocks album the group released in 2008.
Queen in the Making

Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo fit for Juventus clash with Ajax, says coach Massimiliano Allegri. The return of Ronaldo will be a massive boost as Juventus seek to end their 23-year wait to lift the Champions League trophy.
Cristiano Ronaldo fit for Juventus clash with Ajax

"The surrounding pieces aren't so bad," another of the front-office people said. "They just need another guy in there so they can all slide down a role." The Hornets could play around a bit and
NBA GM Series: Rebuilding the Charlotte Hornets - Cal's Call

Barcelona claimed their 13th Spanish Super Cup in style with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Sevilla on Wednesday night in the second leg at the Camp Nou, giving the Catalonians a whopping 5-0
Real Madrid stroll to an easy win as they put pressure on

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri said he must "respect Eden Hazard's decision" if the forward wants to leave Stamford Bridge this summer. Reports on Monday suggested Real Madrid are eager to secure
Eden Hazard can leave Chelsea if he wants, says manager

Ramos double puts Madrid within sight of the semi-finals AFP January 24, 2019 AFP No Comments Madrid (AFP) - Sergio Ramos scored twice to put Real Madrid on the brink of the Copa del Rey semi-finals as they came from behind to beat Girona 4-2 in a thrilling first leg on Thursday.
Ramos double puts Madrid within sight of the semi-finals

That's right, the FA Cup is alive again. Resurrected by a VAR fracas, a flurry of wonderful goal-mouth scrambles and tap ins, a couple of Cupsets and some 90th-minute magic. All hail our

Copa del Rey: Ramos double puts Real Madrid within sight of

Soccer Football - World Cup - Round of 16 - Uruguay vs Portugal - Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Russia - June 30, 2018 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo looks dejected after the match REUTERS/Jorge Silva Portugal fail to show they are more than just Ronaldo
Fans react to Bernardo Silva setting up Cristiano Ronaldo
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen