The D2D League Div 1 started this weekend but with ARFC only starting their league quest next week, the team had a chance to play another warm up game against Elvis’ cousin’s team, ironically they are wearing orange again! The match was witness by the WAGs of both Elvis and Jinzhong.
ARFC started with this line-up:
GK - Dependable Jinzhong
RB - Hard-running Guoxiong
Sweeper - Astute-reading sweeper Elvis
Stopper - Towering Toh
LB - Unbeatable Darren
RM - Norman (guest player)
CM - Dynamic Soon
CM - Hard-man Tjioe
LM - Talisman Derrick
SC - Unpredictable Blackburn
SC - Powerful Alvin (captain)
Subs: Ming Chen (guest player)
Yao Yang (guest player)
Right from the start, ARFC was determined to show the opponent what we are capable of and 15 seconds later, Tjioe had a chance to put ARFC ahead, but his shot was so hard that it went over the keeper, over the crossbar and over the high fence as well. The referee signalled for a new ball instead of a goal.
Within 15 minutes, Tjioe turned creator when he lob the over the defence to put Alvin racing through beating the offside trap. Spotting the keeper off his line, Alvin met the ball first time and sent it up and over the keeper, this time below the crossbar and bulging the net for his first goal of the game and his 124th ARFC goal. 1-0.
Derrick showed that he can be equally effective playing on the left when he raced down the left flank and send in a delicious cross for Soon to dive in. It is a pity that the ball was 15 inches ahead of Soon’s lunging foot and the chance was not converted. Unlucky!
However, Soon was not to be denied his 31st ARFC goal 15 minutes later when he was put through again, this time by Blackburn after he made a good run from midfield. As composed as ever, Soon slot the ball past the advancing keeper for his first goal of the game. 2-0!
Blackburn was number 3 to get on the score sheet, courtesy of a long ball from Tjioe. Both Derrick and Blackburn chased for the same ball, but surprisingly Blackburn reached the ball first. He chested the ball down and without wasting much time, he lobbed the ball over the keeper for ARFC’s third goal and his 89th ARFC goal. 3-0.
With 15 minutes of the half left, Derrick and Tjioe took a well deserved rest and in came the 2 guest players Ming Chen and Yaoyang. The substitution almost paid instant dividend when in the following attack, Norman, another guest player, swung in a cross from the right which Ming Chen dived in with a header. Unfortunately, the ball went over the crossbar for a goal kick.
Off a corner, Toh had a chance to put ARFC four up, after good work from Blackburn, but his shot rebounded off the goalpost. Unlucky.
It was to be an unlucky half for Toh as, with the half time whistle impending, the opponent had a rare shot at goal. The shot hit the Toh on his arm and the referee deemed that it is worthy of a penalty. From the spot, the opponent pulled a goal back. 3-1. From the start till the penalty, Jinzhong need not have a save to make. That shows how solid the defence has played as a unit, under the marshal of Elvis.
Off the restart, the opposition was hyped up for a revival and nearly scored a second goal. Luckily, Guoxiong was alert and fast to cover and cleared the ball off the line. With that, it marks the end of the first half and referee blew the half time whistle with the half time score: 3-1.
For the second half, Soon and Blackburn was rested while ARFC went in search of the 4th goal. Though ARFC continued to dominate, chances were not taken and it took a rare foray into the box by Guoxiong to create the goal. With the opponent defence trying to clear the ball, it fell to the feet of Guoxiong, who took a left foot shot. The ball deflected off the defender and into the path of Alvin. Without giving the opponent defence time to react, Alvin instantly volleyed the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net for his 2nd goal of the game and his 125th ARFC goal. 4-1. Blackburn and Soon came in for Yaoyang and Tjioe.
Soon showed how valuable he is to ARFC when he made his next telling contribution, i.e. scoring his next goal. Off a right wing cross into the box from Norman, Alvin cushioned the ball wanting to shoot, but his touch was too heavy and the ball went loose, thinking the chance was lost. However, Soon has other ideas when he emerged from nowhere and tap the ball past the keeper for his 32nd ARFC goal. Really world-class determination. 5-1.
With less than 15 minutes left, ARFC found time to score one more goal. From a freekick at the edge of the box, Blackburn flighted in a delicious cross for Toh, who had an unlucky first half, to rise above the opposition defence and head it past the keeper and into the back of the net for his land-mark 40th ARFC goal. The goal was also his second in as many matches. 6-1. Reward for scoring: Substitution with Tjioe. Yaoyang also came back in for Norman, who had done well on the right.
With the game sealed and full time whistle looming, ARFC started to relax again and they were nearly punished, if not for Jinzhong who was alert and managed to snuff out the danger in time. Credits to Jinzhong for being able to keep himself on his toes for the whole game and react to lapse in defence when needed. With his alertness, ARFC managed to keep a clean sheet for the second half and notch up yet another comfortable win. Full time score:6-1.
This is another match where ARFC needed to enlist the help of guest players to make up the starting eleven and a game which ARFC could have easily notch up a double digit score line with the presence of more ARFC warriors.
With a display of solid defending by ARFC, it is no surprise that the Man of the Match goes to Guoxiong, nominated over the equally impressive Darren, with his off the line clearance at the end of the first half, killing any chance of a revival from the opposition.
With that, ARFC played out the last friendly before the real deal starts in a week’s time against FC Simpang. Until then...
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