ARFC in brilliant comeback 4-4 draw

In a friendly match against a “tough-and-hard” Malay team, ARFC displayed tremendous team spirit and determination in drawing 4-4 after trailing 0-4 at one stage!

ARFC started with this line-up:

Keeper             -           Talented Chun Haw

Right-back       -           Jasper

Sweeper           -           Astute-reading sweeper Elvis

Stopper            -           Towering Toh

Left-back         -           Unbeatable Darren

Left-mid          -           Weilit

Centre-mid       -           Combative Ron

Centre-mid       -           Unpredictable Blackburn  

Right-mid         -           Marauding Guoxiong

Striker              -           Talisman Derrick

Striker              -           Powerful Alvin (captain)

Subs (all late):

ARFC Scoring Legend Haron

Speedy Hee

Wonder Wayne

Dynamic Soon

Absent:

Steely Tze Ern

How Meng

Influential Sebastian

Hard-man Tjioe  

Sublime Khim 

Dependable Jinzhong

Mean-machine Hock

Long-throw specialist Norman

Precocious En Dian

Nippy Kenny

The match was quite even from the start but the opponents struck first from a quickly-taken free-kick. In all fairness, however, the referee had told ARFC’s wall to move back but the opponent took the free-kick before the referee blew his whistle. Bad call!  0-1

Alvin then wasted a golden chance when Hee, not the first time, robbed their left-back of the ball and squared the ball across. Alvin rounded the keeper and prodded the ball towards the empty goal. Their defender then came from Mars and cleared the ball away with a sliding move. Unlucky!

ARFC was punished when they scored again. 0-2 is the half-time score.

ARFC went further behind when the opponents scored 2 more goals. 0-4

ARFC looked dead and buried and another hiding appeared on the cards.

Such moments are when heroes rise and shine, and what better candidates than the impeccable Soon and scoring legend Haron to begin the come-back.

In the 60^th min, Haron exchanged a classic one-two with Soon, broke free and fired in his 182^nd ARFC goal. 1-4

5 mins later came a reversal of roles for Soon and Haron. Haron laid the ball on the platter for Soon who simply whipped the ball home for his 45^th ARFC goal. 2-4 and this was also ARFC’s 100^th goal in the year 2012!

In the 70^th min, from a quick throw-in, Alvin held off their covering defender, turned him in a classic Alvin move and fizzed the ball across goal for Haron to come in from blind side and side-footed the ball home for his 183^rd ARFC goal! With the brace, Haron reminded everyone what a predator he has been and still is!

5 mins later, Derrick delivered a cross-field pass down the left channel for Alvin to chase. Alvin dribbled the ball all the way to the left by-line, cut back and sent in a delicious far-post ball which saw Chun Haw coming in from deep and thrashed the ball into the net for his 8^th ARFC goal. 4-4!

In fact, ARFC could have snatched the winner right at the dead. From a break-away move, Alvin headed to Derrick who in turn first-time headed to Haron. Haron wriggled free but his stinging shot was saved by their keeper. Unlucky but what a great team move.

Man-of-the-Match is definitely Soon who totally changed the game after coming in with his never-ending energy and covering of ground. This came after his 36-km run in the same morning!