Darren hit winner in ARFC Veterans' 2-1 win against SRC Veterans

Playing its 15^th veteran match and on a rare 5.30 pm kick-of time at the natural grass Indian Association pitch, ARFC Veterans dished out a controlled displayed to edge out SRC Veterans 2-1.

As there were not enough players one day before the match, ARFC Veterans had no choice but to call up several guest players. 

ARFC Veterans started with this 4-4-2 line-up:

GK – Derrick

RB – Kiat

Sweeper – John (guest player)

Stopper – Toh

LB – Malcolm (guest player)

RM – Raymond

CM – Sebastian

CM – Blackburn

LM – Darren

SC – Alvin

SC –  Hee

Subs:

Rashid – late

Tze Ern – late

Qingxing – late

Soon – late

Weng Tuck (guest player)

Kenny (guest player) – late

ARFC Veterans started the match very well and could have taken the lead within 5 mins.  Raymond embarked on a piercing and forceful run down the right flank and faced their GK.  Alas, Raymond took the wrong option but he fired into the side-netting when a square pass across goal would have been met by Alvin who was free in the box.

Hee and Alvin then had chances but could not hit the target.

Toh, who was back after his recent injury, came up with a tough block and signalled to all that he is back!

Darren then combined with Malcolm down the left but the cross was fruitless.

Kiat, who had a great game as right back, then put Raymond down the right side but the move did not reaped dividends.

Hee, Alvin, Raymond and Sebastian then produced several closing down of opponents.

Derrick also came up with a crucial save.

ARFC Veterans then made several substitutions with Weng Tuck coming in for Toh (who requested a shot break), and Kenny coming in for Hee. Tze Ern also replaced Raymond.

Weng Tuck then made the great impact when out of nowhere, he unleashed a powerful left-foot drive from 37 metres that left their GK rooted to the spot. 1-0 and it was Weng Tuck’s debut goal for ARFC Veterans.

However Weng Tuck marred his good work when he lost the ball just outside the penalty box and the opponents scored. 1-1

Soon then replaced Blackburn.

Kenny then missed 2 golden chances when he scuffed both shots when unmarked.

In the 2^nd half, Rashid and Qingxing came on

ARFC Veterans continued to press to regain its lead.

Kenny missed another great chance when he could not put in a clean shot.  He was soon replaced by Hee.

In the 57^th min came the move of the match.  From the right flank area, Kiat played a grounder to Sebastian who asked for the ball just outside the penalty box.  Sebastian then dummied the ball by letting the ball go in between his legs and continued his run into the box.  Blackburn read his mind perfectly and returned a perfectly-weighted ball into his path.  With their stopped closing down, Sebastian managed to toe-poke the ball with his left foot. Their GK was rooted to the spot but the left post denied Sebastian a well-deserved goal. Unlucky but what a move ala Andy Cole-Dwight Yorke move.

ARFC finally took the lead in the 67^th min.  Rashid played a nice diagonal ball down the right flank and Kiat started his over-lapping run.  With a perfect cross, their GK inexplicably dropped the ball and Darren was there to poke the ball into the empty net. 2-1 and this was Darren’s 16^th ARFC goal, with 5 of them from Veterans matches.

Derrick then played as striker with Tze Ern taking over in goal.

Derrick’s 1^st contribution was a weak shot from 37 metres.

Raymond then had a field day down the right flank but could not came up with a goal.

Qingxing also showed his usual toughness with several strong challenges and clearances.

It was a good victory for ARFC Veterans as all played well.

Wayne's 2nd-ever ARFC hat-trick in 3-1 victory

Despite having with just one substitute after Derrick’s last-min pull-out, ARFC dismissed the energetic and enthusiastic challenge from the NUS students from the King George Hall 3-1 courtesy of a magnificent hat-trick from Wayne.

ARFC started with this line-up:

Jersey no.	Name	Position
6	Unbeatable Darren	Goalkeeper
20	Composed Eng Lai (captain)	Right-back
3	Astute-reading sweeper Elvis	Sweeper
14	Combative Ron	Stopper
2	Unpredictable Blackburn	Left-back
16	Marauding Guoxiong	Right-mid
4	Dynamic Soon	Centre-mid
12	Remarkable Rashid	Centre-mid
17	Nippy Kenny	Left-mid
66	Wonder Wayne	Striker
99	Powerful Alvin	Striker
Subs:
xx	Bernard (guest player)
Absent:
5	Impeccable How Meng
7	Influential Sebastian
8	Talented Chun Haw
9	ARFC Scoring Legend Haron
10	Sublime Khim
11	Speedy Hee
15	Towering Toh
18	Determined Huiming
19	Skillful Weilit
21	Rampaging Raymond
28	Hard-man Tjioe
31	Vintage Chua
33	Talisman Derrick
45	Commanding Ismail
77	Dependable Jinzhong
78	Steely Tze Ern

ARFC opened the scoring in the 17^th min.  Guoxiong, who was in rich vein of form in recent matches, embarked on a stunning mazy run down the right flank. Easily beating their left-back, Guoxiong crossed into the space n the middle of the box and Wayne came from deep to slide the ball home ala Andy Cole. 1-0 and this was Wayne’s 40^th ARFC goal.

In the 27^th min, in a typical trademark move, Kenny robbed the opponent off the ball and squared to Wayne.  Wayne could have scored but his shot was deliberately blocked by their defender.  Wayne shrugged aside several keen penalty-takers by dispatching the ball into the net to double the lead with his 41^st ARFC goal. 2-0

In the 57^th min, ARFC eased off and allowed the opponents to pull a goal back. 2-1

ARFC then stepped up another gear and had Alvin to thank for its 3^rd goal. Turning back the clock, Alvin took on and beat 2 opponents down the left with his powerful bursting run.  Hearing Wayne’s call, Alvin crossed into the box and their GK spilled the ball which fell nicely and kindly into Wayne’s path.  In a move typical of Thierry Henry’s goal against Newcastle United in a league match in 2009, Wayne nonchalantly back-heeled the ball into goal which nearly broke the net.  3-1 and this was Wayne’s 42^nd ARFC goal and his 2^nd-ever ARFC hat-trick.

Wayne’s 1^st-ever hat-trick for ARFC was on 28 Dec 2011 when ARFC triumphed 5-3 against Westminister at the Turf City Premier pitch.

Eng Lai key to ARFC's 2-0 victory

Shrugging off last week 1-3 defeat by British Exiles, ARFC responded perfectly by dishing out a controlled performance with a 2-0 victory over the EDB team in a rare night match at the refurbished Serangoon Stadium.

ARFC started with this line-up:

Jersey no.	Name	Position
33	Talisman Derrick	Goalkeeper
2	Unpredictable Blackburn	Right-back
3	Astute-reading sweeper Elvis	Sweeper
20	Composed Eng Lai	Stopper
31	Vintage Chua	Left-back
16	Marauding Guoxiong	Right-mid
4	Dynamic Soon	Centre-mid
7	Influential Sebastian (captain)	Centre-mid
12	Remarkable Rashid	Left-mid
99	Powerful Alvin	Striker
66	Wonder Wayne	Striker
Subs:
9	ARFC Scoring Legend Haron (late)
17	Nippy Kenny (late)
77	Dependable Jinzhong
78	Steely Tze Ern  (late)
Absent:
5	Impeccable How Meng
6	Unbeatable Darren
8	Talented Chun Haw
10	Sublime Khim
11	Speedy Hee
14	Combative Ron
15	Towering Toh
18	Determined Huiming
19	Skillful Weilit
21	Rampaging Raymond
28	Hard-man Tjioe
45	Commanding Ismail

Right from the first whistle, ARFC controlled the pace and rhythm of the match though the younger opponents tried its best to disrupt ARFC with their hard running and harassment.

ARFC deservingly took the lead, albeit in fortuitous manner, in the 10^th min.  Soon was the architect as he stretched backwards and won an aerial ball.  The loose ball fell to Rashid, and in his by-now trademark move, played a long diagonal ball down the right.  In an uncanny resemblance to Andrei Kanchelskis, Guoxiong reached the ball near the right by-line and heard a call from both Alvin and Wayne.  Guoxiong then mishit his cross but fortune favoured the brave when the ball somehow sailed over their GK.  1-0 and this was Guoxiong’s 32^nd ARFC goal.

From a Blackburn corner on the right and hit right into the penalty box, Eng Lai heard Sebastian’s call for the ball and dummied.  Sebastian met the ball with a half volley but could not get the shot on target as it flashed just 0.77 m wide of the post.

Complacency then set in ARFC which was indebted to Derrick who pulled off a stunning one-hand block after their striker was only left with Derrick to beat.

Soon then asked to be substituted as he took a knock and was replaced by Tze Ern.

Jinzhong, Haron and Kenny then replaced Blackburn, Alvin and Wayne respectively.

The substitutions of both strikers almost reaped immediate dividends.  Rashid played a nice low ball to Haron.  Showing great reading of the game and almost telepathic understanding with Kenny, Haron quickly played a slide-rule ball to the on-rushing Kenny.  Breaking their off-side trap, Kenny only had their GK to beat and after cutting past the GK, Kenny inexplicably passed the ball to his left when a simple shot would have hit the net.  Unfortunately, Tze Ern stopped his running and the chance was lost.

From a corner that caused a melee, Jinzhong hit a fierce shot from inside the box but the ball was reflected wide.

In the 2^nd half, Sebastian played perfectly-weighted through ball, ala Xavi, to Kenny.  However, Kenny fired over.

Derrick then came to ARFC’s rescue once more when he made a brilliant one-on-one save.

Rashid then hit a lofted pass to Soon down the left by-line.  Drawing their GK out, Soon’s cut-back looked to have reached Wayne who was free in the 6-yard box.  However, their defender made a stunning recovery block from Wayne’s tap-in at the goalline.  Unlucky!

ARFC finally doubled its lead in the 77^th min courtesy of Sebastian’s invention.  Showing Iniesta-like vision, Sebastian took out all their central defenders when he threaded a needle-like ball to Kenny right into their heart of the defence.  This time round, Kenny did not disappoint as he lifted the ball over their on-rushing GK for his 82^nd ARFC goal.  2-0.

With this goal, Kenny had edged ahead of Soon who had scored 81 goals for ARFC.

Special mention to Eng Lai who more than made up for the absence of regular stopper Toh with his commanding display.

Voting results:

Guoxiong – 10

Soon – 9

Sebastian – 5

Derrick – 5

Eng Lai – 5

Rashid – 5

Wayne – 2

Kenny – 1

Haron – 1

Chua – 1