Playing on an unusual match day (Saturday), ARFC dished out a Jekyll & Hyde performance to draw 4-4 with Questra Vipers at the Tampines SAFRA pitch. Witnessing the extremely entertaining match were Anna (Elvis’ wife), Lingzhi (Ron’s wife), Ziling (Andrew’s girlfriend) and Brendon.
Special mention to Guoxiong for closing his telco shop for the match and thereby forgoing $7,777 in daily sales. Tjioe also postponed his eye surgery to take the match. Tong also came out from his hiatus to play.
ARFC started with this line-up:
Keeper: Battling Andrew
Right-back: Hard-running Guoxiong
Sweeper: Astute-reading Elvis
Stopper: Towering Toh
Left-back: Unbeatable Darren
Right-mid: Nippy Kenny
Centre-mid: Dynamic Soon
Centre-mid: Combative Ron (captain)
Left-mid: Yoong
Striker: Unpredictable Blackburn
Striker: Powerful Alvin
Subs:
Talisman Derrick
Hard-man Tjioe
Influential Sebastian
Sublime Khim
Hardworking Tong
ARFC Scoring Legend Haron
ARFC totally could not get its match going in the 1st half. The Vipers also play a fast-tempo match with its incessant pressing and were always first to any balls. The match was only mins old when stand-in keeper Andrew, who is usually the striker, fumbled a ball and gave them the lead. 0-1
ARFC did not panic and tried to kick-start its engine. In the 17th min, Yoong did very well to fire in a first-time left-foot volley which was blocked. The loose ball fell back to him and his cross-shot was handled by their defender for a penalty. Elvis stepped up and easily dispatched the ball past their keeper for his 9th ARFC goal. With this penalty, Elvis also became the 1st-ever ARFC warriors to score a penalty in 3 successive matches. 1-1
Vipers’ impressive right-winger, who gave Darren a torrid time throughout in the 1st half, then scored with a world-class volley that dipped in for a 2-1 lead.
Elvis then scored an own goal after being put under pressure. 1-3
Tong then conceded a penalty but their keeper fired high into row Z. 1-3.
ARFC looked dead and buried when yet another mis-comm between Andrew and Elvis resulted in them nipping the ball into the empty net. 1-4.
The turning point of the match came just before half-time. From a cross from the left, Vipers connected and the ball looked to have found its way into the bottom right-hand corner. Andrew then redeemed himself by producing a full-length save ala Pepe Reina, to parry the ball away. 1-4.
Not wanting to let its supporters down, ARFC came out firing in the 2nd half. Within a space of 10 mins, ARFC must have created at least 4 to 5 good chances but all were squandered. Alvin came close twice, Toh headed over and Kenny was unlucky too.
ARFC pulled a goal back in the 57th min. A good wall-passes between Andrew and Haron saw Soon dashing in down the left. Seeing their keeper had sprung out from his line, Soon lofted the ball over him for his 27th ARFC goal. 2-4 now.
Toh’s header from Alvin’s corner bounced off the floor and over the cross-bar. Unlucky!!
Kenny, who had an impressive match, then sprinted clear down the right. With Haron running into the box, Kenny chose to fire high. However, the eagle-eyed spotted that Haron was unfairly upended by their defender and awarded another penalty. Elvis stepped again but his shot was saved by their keeper. Thankfully, the rebound fell kindly to him and he slotted home for his 10th ARFC goal. This goal was the exact replica of Wayne Rooney’s recent goal against Liverpool. 3-4 now. After scoring the penalty, Elvis did a Fabregas when he was substituted after being injured in the run-up to the penalty.
ARFC was not roaring and created yet at least another 3 to 4 golden chances but were not taken. ARFC got its long-awaited equalizer when Andrew broke their off-side trap and faced their keeper one-on-one. He lost his footing but his leg was pulled by their keeper thereby giving the referee no choice but to award the 3rd ARFC penalty in the match. As Elvis had already been subbed, Haron stepped up to nonchalantly placed the ball past their keeper for his 157th ARFC goal. 4-4.
ARFC could have snatched the winner right at the death. Guoxiong combined with Kenny and dashed down the right flank ala Glen Johnson. Alvin and Andrew were waiting for the ball and Guoxiong’s square ball was met by Andrew who did not connect fully. As a result, the ball rolled agonizingly wide.
Special mention to all ARFC warriors for turning up as it has been a long long time since the team had so many warriors playing. Also, ARFC did not let its heads dropped after going 1-4 at half-time. Instead, it set about striving for the equalizing goal and show all and sundry that despite being an aging team, ARFC still have what it takes to compete. The determination and spirit in going all out in the 2nd half also bores well for the team.
The whole team did very well but if there is a Man-of-the-Match, I am inclined to jointly give to Kenny and Blackburn.
Special credit to Questra Vipers for its good sportsmanship, the photo-taking after the match and the DVD collage prepared specially for ARFC.
7 cheers to them…..
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