ARFC in plucky 2-1 win over OVA

Playing at the Victoria School artificial pitch for the first time in 2014 and since 04 Aug 2013, ARFC eked out a scrappy 2-1 win against a determined OVA team.

ARFC’s victory was witnessed by Melissa and Lingzhi, wife of Hee and Ron respectively.

ARFC started with this line-up:

Keeper - Wonder Wayne

Right-back - Dependable Jinzhong

Sweeper - Astute-reading sweeper Elvis

Stopper - Towering Toh

Left-back - Unbeatable Darren

Left-mid - Speedy Hee

Centre-mid - Marauding Guoxiong

Centre-mid - Unpredictable Blackburn

Right-mid - Talisman Derrick  

Striker - ARFC Scoring Legend Haron  

Striker - Powerful Alvin (captain)

Subs (all late):

Combative Ron

Nippy Kenny

Absent:

Influential Sebastian

Commanding Ismail

Steely Tze Ern

Dynamic Soon

Sublime Khim

Impeccable How Meng

Hard-man Tjioe

Booming Boon

Despite the heavy showers before kick-off, ARFC did not let the wet pitch affect it and started the match strongly and fluently.

However, the opponents scored in the 7^th min with its first attack of the match.

ARFC kept attacking and missed a few glit-edge chances with Haron and Derrick the main culprits.  ARFC then appeared to lose its patience and its cause was not helped by the absence of influential captain Sebastian who would have organized the team better on the field. Furthermore, ARFC was missing the harassing ability of Soon.

During the break, all ARFC warriors discussed the way to a fight-back and gave a war-cry that could even be heard from Mandarin Gardens condo.

Like Atletico Madrid, ARFC continued its relentless search for an equaliser. In the 67^th min, the elusive equalizer finally arrived. From centre of the field, Ron headed the ball to Blackburn who, displaying great awareness and precision, picked Derrick out with a through ball.  Derrick ran in from deep, beat the off-side trap and gleefully slotted the ball home for his 85^th ARFC goal. 1-1 and Derrick has continued his red-hot-chilli-peppers scoring form by netting in 8^th consecutive.

Derrick then subbed himself out and was replaced by Alvin.

Feeling hyped up with that equaliser, ARFC went for the throat by launching waves after waves of attack.  In a tactical master-stroke by Haron, ARFC also changed to a 4-5-1 formation to beef up the midfield.

The change seemed to galvanise the team which eventually resulted in a positive result for ARFC.  In the 77^th min, off an attacking move on the left, Alvin beat the offside trap and dribbled the ball from the corner flag.  Moving inwards towards goal and with Hee making a distracting move by running into the centre area, Alvin conned their keeper by shouting for Hee. Alvin then thundered in a venomous shot that squeezed past their keeper at his near post. 2-1 and this was Alvin’s 231^st ARFC goal.

Sensing that ARFC was tiring, the opponents then went for the kill and made several attacking moves but ARFC’s famed stingy defence held firm.

The opponent then scored but was incorrectly ruled out for a foul. Video replays also showed that there was no foul at all.  Lucky ARFC.

In the dying seconds, the opponent hit a missile of a free-kick that narrowly, just narrowly, flew wide of the frame of goal.

Voting results:

Ron – 9

Guoxiong – 9

Darren – 8

Blackburn – 4

Wayne – 3

Derrick – 2

Jinzhong – 1

Hee – 1

Kenny – 1

Alvin – 1