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Protectors Go Down Fighting !
23rd July 2010
Starting without Shahril Ishak, Shi Jiayi and Jun Wookeun, the trio that tore apart S.League champions SAFFC just a week ago, the chips were always going to be stacked against Home United as they took on English side Burnley on Thursday.
Jiayi and skipper Shahril were rested, having been included in the Singapore Selection which will line up against Burnley on Saturday, while Jun was struggling with a thigh strain. Forced into changes, Protectors coach Lee Lim Saeng opted for a 4-4-2 formation with Choi Chul Woo leading the line, and Chun Jae Woon just behind him. Tengku Mushadad was drafted in defence alongside skipper for the day Valery Hiek.
The English team started brightly, with winger Jay Rodriguez testing our national custodian Lionel Lewis with a fierce volley after just a minute gone. And disaster struck for Home just two minutes later. As a Burnley corner found the head of defender Leon Cort, Juma’at Jantan stuck out a flailing arm in an attempt to block the ball from going into goal. The referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot. Rodriguez stepped up to coolly open the scoring.
Determined to recover from the early setback, Home showed some good passing and troubled the Burnley backline with diagonal balls, but the best effort at goal we could conjure up was Firdaus Kasman’s shot which was easily saved by the visitors’ giant goalkeeper Brian Jensen.
And on the half-hour mark, Burnley extended their lead. Another corner was punched away by goalkeeper Lionel to the edge of the box, but the Clarets’ midfielder Wade Elliot was on the scene, sending a superb first-time volley sailing into the top corner.
Despite going 2-0 down at the break, Home provided a stiffer challenge to Burnley and were not afraid to get stuck in against bigger and more physical opponents. There was more fight in this game than when the Clarets faced Gombak two days ago. Beating the Bulls 5-0, Burnley hardly broke any sweat.
Home coach Lee then left the second-half team selection to Prime League coach Bernard Lan, as a slew of changes were made. The Protectors took the opportunity to give their youngsters a chance against top-class opposition, with almost the entire second-half team made up of Prime League players. The only seniors were goalkeeper Ridzuan Fatah Hassan, defender Shahril Alias and Juma’at.
Despite their inexperience, Home’s youngsters held their own. Early in the second half, Ridzuan had to pull off a good close-range block from Burnley’s Scotland international striker Chris Iwelumo. Home’s Sufian Anuar then forced Jensen into a diving save with a good effort inside the box, before Ridzuan again denied the giant Iwelumo from close-range.
Home’s youngsters were looking bright and up for the challenge, with winger Sherif El-Masri in particular looking lively. The Canadian constantly tested Burnley’s former Manchester United right-back Richard Eckersley with his pace, and even had a powerful shot at goal beaten wide by Jensen.
However, another winger would ultimately take the spotlight. Another former Manchester United man, Chris Eagles, came on as a substitute and showed his quality against tiring opposition. In the 82nd minute, Eagles found himself one-on-one with Ridzuan, and coolly lifted the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper to make it 3-0.
And in the dying moments of the game, Eagles again decisively contributed, crossing beautifully for Iwelumo to steer the ball home. With Iwelumo also scoring off a corner three minutes earlier, the game ended as a second consecutive 5-0 win for the Clarets.
While the scoreline may not have been flattering, the Protectors put up a good fight for the entire match. The Home youngsters can also hold their head up high despite the defeat, denying more experienced opponents from scoring until the last moments of the match."