Taking on perennial championship winner The OC for the 2nd time in the league, ARFC went down 1-3 under searing heat at the artificial pitch at Bowen SS. Witnessing the loss was fanatical supporter, Anna, wife of Elvis.
ARFC was hit by a spate of unavailability of several 1st-team warriors namely Toh (Hong Kong trip), Hee (KL trip), Ron (work commitment) and goal-keeper Jinzhong (Valentine's Day celebration). Thankfully, Guoxiong sacrificed his house-moving task to turn up. Darren also called up 2 guest players, Yeong and Chuan, to help out and both guest players were to play well in the match.
ARFC started with this line-up:
GK - Unpredictable Blackburn
RB - Hard-running Guoxiong
Sweeper - Astute-reading Elvis
Stopper - Hardman Tjioe
LB - Unbeatable Darren
CM - Dynamic Soon
CM - Influential Sebastian
RM - Talisman Derrick
LM - Nippy Kenny
SC - Powerful Alvin
SC - ARFC scoring legend Haron (captain)
Subs: Ah Yeong and Ah Chuan
The OC started the match well and took most possession with their slick passing. However, the experienced ARFC did not panic and merely stick to its formation and position and was not really threathened by them.
ARFC gradually imposed its presence and began to create chances of its own. The goal finally came when Kenny showed great control and awareness with a clever reverse-through ball to Alvin down the left side. Haron aided when he created confusion by coming back from an off-side position but did not go for the ball. In a flash, Alvin sprinted clear and beat their keeper with the outside right foot for his 115th ARFC goal. 1-0.
Alvin could have doubled his goal tally when he was put thrugh yet again but this time round, his shot was blocked by their keeper's out-stretched legs. Unlucky!!
Alvin was thwarted once again when their keeper made a similar save from Alvin's shot. Unlucky again.
Kenny was next to come close. Off a throw-in by Darren from the left, Derrick touched the ball down in the box and Kenny reacted like Usain Bolt to thunder a venomous volley that flew just over the bar. Tjioe immediately shouted "goal" as he thought that the ball had gone in.
The OC began its relentless search for the equaliser and it finally arrived on the stroke of half-time. A corner was half-cleared and their player volleyed home from 27 metres after ARFC failed to block the shot. 1-1.
Right after the goal, the referee blew for half-time.
The 2nd half was a ding-dong affairs but The OC took the lead after Tjioe, who had a superb match at stopper, turned in an own goal. Real unlucky!!! 1-2.
ARFC could have equalised. First, Tjioe glanced Sebstian's precise free-kick just narrowly wide (think just missed by 0.77 cm). Then, Alvin did well on the left flank and floated in a cross that eluded everyone but Yeong's header was blocked on the goal-line by their defender.
Chuan then wriggled his way down the right touch-line all the way into the penalty box but his square ball to the waiting Alvin was unfortunately cleared by their defender.
Haron was next to be the unlucky one. Chasing a long through ball, he reached the ball first and nipped it away from their on-rushing keeper. Unfortunately, the ball rolled too far ahead for him to chase and the ball went out for a goal-kick.
By the 70th min, the aging warriors were all gasping for breath and The OC then took almost full control. It was hence no surprise that they scored their 3rd goal from a break-away chance. 1-3.
Blackburn did well playing as a "part-time" keeper with his clever reading of the match by coming out for several through balls. ARFC's defence of Elvis, Tjioe, Guoxiong, Darren, and later Derrick (1st time playing right-back) and Sebastian (probably first time playing stopper when Tjioe tired out) played their hearts out. Alvin also did well, as did both guest players.
Man-of-the-match has to be Tjioe for his lion-hearted performance ala John Terry. He soldiered on despite taking so many knocks but finally left the field in the 70th min mark.
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