Alvin's 350th ARFC goal in 2-2 draw

 

 

 

In a match against FC Feduk at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) on 17 Jul at 3 pm, ARFC twice threw away its lead and was forced to settle for a 2-2 draw.

 

As Derrick pulled out at the 11^th hour due to diarrhoea, ARFC had to call up Zhi Chong as its guest keeper.

 

As Sebastian was still troubled by hamstring and groin concerns, Haron captained and led the team out from the tunnel

 

ARFC took to the pitch with this 4-4-2 line-up:

 

Jersey No.:	Name	Position
xx	Zhi Chong	Goalkeeper
20	Composed Eng Lai	Right back
3	Astute-reading sweeper Elvis	Sweeper
15	Towering Toh	Stopper
6	Unbeatable Darren	Left back
16	Marauding Guoxiong	Right mid
23	Talented Chun Haw	Centre Mid
4	Dynamic Soon	Centre Mid
31	Wonder Wayne	Left Mid
99	Powerful Alvin	Striker
9	ARFC Scoring Legend Haron (captain)	Striker
Substitutes:
5	Energetic Kerwin
7	Influential Sebastian (captain)
10	Sublime Khim
19	Skillful Wei Lit
Missing In Action:
2	Remarkable Rashid
8	Precocious Javier
11	Speedy Hee
13	Talisman Derrick
14	Combative Ron
17	Nippy Kenny
18	Determined Huiming
26	Rampaging Raymond
27	Left-foot wizard Kejendran (KJ)
28	Hard-man Tjioe
29	Flying Fremont
66	Vintage Chua
77	Dependable Jinzhong
78	Steely Tze Ern
98	Impeccable How Meng

 

 

The opponents capitalised on ARFC’s slow start and nearly scored within the first 5 minutes. Thankfully, Zhi Chong came to the rescue with 2 superb saves.

 

ARFC soon woke up its ideas and gradually took over control with some slick passing and movement.

 

In the 17^th min, ARFC opened the scoring through a simple one-two move.  Alvin, who has been in phenomenal red-hot form recently with his goals, played a simple one-two with Khim who flicked the ball inwards for Alvin to latch on. Alvin eluded their defence and fired past their GK for his 350^th ARFC goal. 1-0 and what a move!

 

In an almost similar move 5 mins later, Chun Haw exchanged passes with Khim on the left, and followed by another similar one-two with Haron.  Chun Haw then dribbled inwards and faced with their GK to beat, his sliced placing shot was deflected by their GK for a corner.  Unlucky but superb movements!

 

Sebastian then received a pass from Khim at the top of the box, and then deceived their defence by threading a no-look pass to Alvin in the box. However, their GK was quick off his line to gather the ball before Alvin could pull the trigger.

 

Darren then combined with Khim, before putting Chun Haw clear down the left.  Chun Haw’s inviting cross was met by Wayne who managed to just head slightly wide of the goal.

 

Darren then rescued ARFC after ARFC was caught napping by the opponents’ quick counter-attack. Their striker looked to equalise until Darren came from nowhere to make a world-class recovery block!

 

With almost the last kick of the half, Soon laid the ball to Haron who was at the D of the penalty box. However, Haron just lofted the ball about 0.9 mm over the bar!

 

The first half ended 1-0.

 

ARFC was severely weakened after Soon left for a dinner at half-time.

 

ARFC then conceded a goal. 1-1

 

ARFC kept on pressing and was unlucky on several occasions.

 

Particularly, their GK produced an out-of-this-world save to deny Haron in the 67^th min.

 

Chun Haw, Darren, Alvin and Khim combined down the left that saw Khim receiving the ball at left flank area. Looking up, Khim saw Haron swooping in from the right, and duly delivered a perfect cross into the box that eluded their defence.  When Haron moved in to meet the cross just outside the 6-yard box area, and even before he met the ball, every ARFC warriors were already screaming for goal.  Haron met the ball with an emphatic thumping header but only god knows how their GK managed to palm the ball out for a corner!!

 

Guoxiong then made a brilliant recovery tackle to prevent their striker from scoring. Great defender!

 

 

ARFC finally regained its lead in the 77^th min.  First, Guoxiong passed to Wei Lit on the right and the latter then passed to Chun Haw.  Chun Haw then made wall-passes with Wei Lit before sprinting clear down the right touch-line.  Seeing Haron free in the box, Chun Haw fizzed in a low cross which Haron connected perfectly and powerfully that their GK could not keep out the ball though he got his palms to it.  2-1 and this was Haron’s 276^th ARFC goal.

 

Unfortunately, ARFC conceded another goal almost at the end to draw 2-2.

 

 

List of ARFC scorers with 23 goals and above:

 

 

1	Alvin	350 goals
2	Haron	276
3	Blackburn	164
4	Sebastian	125
5	Hee	117
6	Derrick	114
7	Toh	103
8	Chun Haw	101
9	Soon	94
10	Kenny	86
11	Robin	69
12	Tjioe	67
13	Khim	62
14	Wayne	55
15	Jeffrey	53
16	Guoxiong	37
17	Tong	27
18	Darren	26
19	Kiat	25
20	Raymond	25
21	David	23

 

Elvis and Darren shone as Alvin grabbed hat-trick in 6-0 win over OVA Veterans

 

Playing its 4^th Veterans match in 2022 and 31^st Veterans match overall, ARFC Veterans demolished the OVA Veterans team 6-0 at the magnificent pitch at Victoria School on 10 Jul (Sunday) at 5 pm.  

 

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

 

GK – Derrick

RB – Sebastian (captain)

Sweeper – Elvis

Stopper – Eng Lai

LB – Darren

RM – Guoxiong

CM – Soon

CM – Tjioe

LM – Tze Ern

SC – Alvin

SC – Haron

 

Subs:

 

Toh

Rashid

Daniel

 

 

Strangely enough, ARFC Veterans had a nervous start in the first 7 mins and could not get a hold of the match.  In fact, the OVA Veterans team, comprising several ex-SG internationals, threatened ARFC Veterans on several occasions.

 

ARFC Veterans soon calmed down and began asserting its authority in the match.  In the 11^th min, Guoxiong combined brilliantly with Soon on the right before finding Haron, who had made a superb diagonal run into the box, with a great through ball.  Haron swivelled and hit a sweet right foot shot that beat their GK but their sweeper came in and cleared the ball of the line.  Unlucky Haron!

 

3 mins later, Tjioe suffered the same fate as Haron.  After being put through on goal by Haron, Tjioe beat their GK with a sliding shot but their defender again hoofed the goal-bound ball away.  

 

5 mins later, Haron was left to rue his bad luck again when he slotted past their GK but not the covering defender who blocked the ball on the line. 

 

Darren then nearly put ARFC Veterans ahead but from Sebastian’s laser-sharp free-kick, he planted his header straight at their GK.

 

Guoxiong then intercepted a pass and released Haron.  However, Haron’s fierce shot was parried by their GK.

 

After intense pressure, ARFC Veterans finally reaped its rewards by opening the scoring in the 27^th min.  Rashid, who had just came on, pinged a ball down the left flank for Alvin to chase.  Alvin then exchanged passes with Soon before side-footing a low curler to the far post bottom corner which their diving GK simply could not keep out.  1-0 and this was Alvin’s 347^th ARFC goal. 

 

In the second half, ARFC Veterans stepped up a gear and doubled its lead within 4 mins of the re-start.

 

Rashid sprayed a ball down the left flank and flying midfielder Darren sprinted down to retrieve the ball. Darren then passed to Alvin who dribbled past one defender before facing their GK.  Drawing their GK out, Alvin could have scored but he unselfishly squared the ball across for Haron to gleefully tapped the ball into the empty net.  What great team work!   2-0 and this was Haron’s 275^th ARFC goal.

 

ARFC Veterans furthered extended its lead 4 mins later.  GK Derrick’s long kick saw Alvin elegantly trapped the ball in the middle of the park.  Spotting Soon’s run from deep on the right, Alvin threaded a slide-rule pass and powered inwards. Soon ran with the ball towards goal and with both their GK and Alvin expected Soon to square the ball across goal, Soon fooled all by cleverly placing a low ball into the near post for his 94^th ARFC goal.  3-0 now.

 

By now, the opponents looked deflated.  Tjioe capitalised on it when from near the centre circle spot, he chipped in a looping ball over their defence and Alvin simply volleyed the ball home for his 348^th ARFC goal. 4-0.

 

Daniel then passed to Haron and together, both created mayhem in the penalty box before Alvin reacted quickest to poke the ball into the empty net and completed his hat-trick.  5-0 and this was Alvin’s 349^th ARFC goal.

 

Alvin’s hat-trick was also his 30^th ARFC hat-trick, netting him a total of 102 goals from those hat-tricks.

 

Tze Ern then took over Derrick as the GK, with Derrick moving upfront as striker.

 

Daniel then executed a fantastic mid-air cross field ball from the right all the way to the left.  With an exquisite touch, Derrick brought the ball under control and tried to dribble past their right back.  Derrick looked to have lost control of the ball but he somehow managed to win back the ball. Derrick was about to shoot when he was upended by the same right back. 

 

Derrick then dusted himself off the ground and hit a “Panenka” penalty past their diving GK.  6-0 and this was Derrick’s 114^th ARFC goal.

 

Derrick’s last goal for ARFC was also in a ARFC Veterans match on 15 Nov 2019 when we won 3-0. 

 

With almost the last kick of the match, Derrick could have grabbed his brace.  After speeding down the left flank, Derrick rounded their GK but he then inexplicably could not get a shot in!  The ball was then cleared away.

 

ARFC Veterans then held on for its 3^rd win in 4 matches in 2022.

 

 

Including this match, these were all the details for ARFC Veterans’ 30 matches since it was formed in 2017:

 

Year	P	W	D	L	GF	GA
2017	4	3	1	0	21	7
2018	11	8	1	2	29	21
2019	12	11	0	1	43	16
2020	0	0	0	0	0	0
2022	4	3	0	1	13	10
Total	31	25	2	4	106	54

 

These are the top 5 scorers for ARFC Veterans’ 31 matches:

 

1.    Raymond – 18 goals

2.    Haron – 15 goals

3.    Darren – 11 goals

4.    Soon – 11 goals

5.    Sebastian – 10 goals

 

 

·       Derrick – Assured display as GK and then won and converted a penalty as striker. 

 

·       Sebastian – Played himself as right-back to protect his left groin and right hamstring.  Took up good positions on 4 occasions by overlapping to right wing but was not utilised.

 

·       Eng Lai – Had a great outing as stopper and left-back.  Came up with a few key interceptions. 

 

·       Elvis – Joint Man-of-the-Match with Darren.  Commanding display as sweeper and snuffed out all danger balls.

 

·       Darren – Joint Man-of-the-Match with Elvis.  Excelled at both left-back and then left midfielder.  Totally unstoppable.

 

·       Guoxiong – Provided good covering to right-back and came up with several good balls to our strikers.  Good outing!  

 

·       Soon – Harassed opponents non-stop.  His goal was very clever which showed his match awareness.    

 

·       Tjioe – Controlled the midfield with some tenacious tackles.  Rock solid!

 

·       Tze Ern – Energetic performance at left midfield.  Graciously played as GK for the last 20 mins.

 

·       Haron – Good positional awareness and brilliant touches. Rewarded with a goal.

 

·       Alvin – On fire recently and continued to be on fire for this match.  His hat-trick was just rewards for his overall powerful and incisive display. 

 

·       Toh – Won all aerial balls and played like Great Wall of China as stopper.

 

·       Daniel – Several good touches including that exquisite in the air cross field ball from right to the left. 

 

·       Rashid – Short and quick passes, interspersed with precise long balls.  Played exactly like Liverpool’s Thiago.