Playing on the second Monday night game (7 pm kick-off) in successive week, ARFC was held to a 2-2 draw by the Republic Polytechnic staff team despite an inspired performance from talisman Derrick.
The magnificent pitch and ambience was matched by the grand turn-out of 107,777 fans, including influential Sebastian’s wife, Caren, astute-reading sweeper Elvis’ girlfriend, Anna and the family of ARFC scoring legend Haron, Su and their daughter Afiqah and his mother-in-law. The chief reason for the big increase in turn-out was due to the fact that Afiqah is making her first support for her father for the first time since born.
Missing regular keeper dependable Jinzhong (due to work), ARFC started with versatile Kiat who kindly volunteered to be the keeper. He was supported by astute-reading sweeper Elvis, towering Toh, left-foot wizard Bernard and unpredictable Blackburn as the defence. Influential Sebastian, hard-man Tjioe, hard-running Guoxiong and talisman Derrick were the midfielders, with the feared striker-force of powerful Alvin and ARFC scoring legend Haron. WO Neo, who had just returned from a month-long training stint in India, speedy Hee and hardworking Tong (both late due to work) and sublime Khim were the subs. Upon hearing that sublime Khim was surprisingly made a sub, the fans jeered the decision by pelting banana skins onto the pitch. Luckily, the well-trained pong-pong girls from Republic Polytechnic were able to defuse the situation by treating the fans to a well-rehearsed routine that soon had the fans forgotten about sublime Khim’s absence.
ARFC showed its intent by launching attacks after attacks right from the kick-off. ARFC scoring legend Haron nearly opened the scoring just minutes after but his shot struck the wood-work. Wasted!!
However, he was not to be denied in the 17th min. Influential Sebastian played a direct pass to powerful Alvin who expertly flicked the ball to the on-rushing Haron. He shrugged off the challenge of the defender to unleash the ball home for the 121st ARFC goal. Immediately, he pointed to the stands and amazingly, Afiqah was observed to have smiled at her father’s goal!!!!!
After the goal, ARFC appeared to turn complacent and wasted so many golden opportunities, with the most glaring miss by powerful Alvin in the 27th min. He bored down on goal right into the 6-yard box but to the huge astonishment of everybody in the stadium, shot wide!!!
As football logic goes, ARFC was soon punished. Off a counter-attack, they equalized. 1-1 now!!
ARFC then made a string of substitutions with speedy Hee, WO Neo and sublime Khim taking over, talisman Derrick (who was brutally chopped down on numerous occasions by the opponents), Haron and unpredictable Blackburn respectively.
The first-half ended 1-1.
7 mins into the half, hardworking Tong appeared for towering Toh who declared his tireness on the pitch.
In the 57th min, talisman Derrick nearly produced a carbon-copy of Marco Van Basten’s goal in the 1988 Euro Final against the USSR. Sublime Khim looked up and switched an elegant ball all the way to talisman Derrick on the right flank. Without missing a beat, he blasted a venomous volley that had goal screaming all the way until their keeper touched the ball onto the cross-bar for a corner. Wonderful and the whole stadium groaned in agony!!!
ARFC was not to be denied in its search for the 2nd goal. In the 67th min, ARFC went ahead again. Off a corner, towering Toh, talisman Derrick and hard-man Tjioe all challenged for the ball which seemed to stay in the air for eternity. When the ball finally dropped, talisman Derrick swiveled and volleyed home for his 18th ARFC goal, a goal that was very similar to David Platt’s goal in World Cup 1990 against Belgium!!!
However, another mistake allowed the opponents to equalize yet again.
By the 77th min mark, ARFC warriors were tiring and the opponents began to have the upper hand, especially after they introduced a few students-looking players who were very fit and comfortable on the ball.
Final score 2-2 and this was ARFC’s 35th draw in its illustrious history.
Speaking to the pong-pong girls after the match, Man-of-the-Match talisman Derrick said he was lucky to keep his legs intact after many many tackles that threatened to break his legs. He also turned down the girls’ requests for his mobile number as he said that his heart is only with his wife, Iris, and son, Reyes.
Separately, ARFC scoring legend Haron dedicated his goal to his lovely wife, Su, and especially to his daughter, Afiqah who witnessed his father’s predatory instinct for the first-time and I believe, for many times to come in the coming years……..
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