Home lets two-goal lead slip
Two goals in the space of five minutes by Shi Jia Yi and Khairul Amri earned the Young Lions a 2-2 draw with Home United at the Yishun Stadium earlier this evening.
The Protectors looked odds on favourites to win the tie comfortably after goals by Egmar Goncalves and Indra Sahdan gave them a 2-0 lead.
But then Shi scored a penalty in the 75th minute, followed by Khairul's leveller in the 80th minute.
After giving the fans a semblance of hope through albeit short appearances in the last two friendlies in the break, striker Agu Casmir was again absent from the Young Lions squad, due to an injury sustained late in training.
Norfahazly Kamsan was drafted into the starting line-up alongside Khairul, ably supported by Ruhaizad Ismail and the tireless Itimi Dickson.
The match started brightly for the Young Lions. A harried pass from the usually sure-footed Aide Iskandar was intercepted by Khairul, who released an on-rushing Tengku Mushadad.
Tengku controlled the pass in the Home penalty area, and he should have been luckier when his well-struck shot smacked the upright.
But that opening minute endeavour proved not to be of any prophetic significance, as the Home players recollected themselves from that early scare.
In fact, for the rest of the half, and most of the match thereafter, much of the contest was all Home.
Employing a 3-5-2 wingback system, the Protectors, marshaled at the back by the classiest and most experienced duo of Aide and skipper S.Subramani, gave the Young Lions no easy chances to approach the goal.
The goal is guarded by no less than former Young Lion and national number one Lionel Lewis, who returned to Yishun Stadium for the first time since his transfer window move to Home United.
The back three was well-protected in turn by Anuruck Srikerd, giving wingbacks Imran Sahib and A.Siva Kumar the ease-of-mind and confidence to charge into the Young Lions' half.
In J.Surachai, Peres de Oliveira, Egmar and Indra, Home United have class and experience all the way through their line-up, and it was the evergreen Surachai who was the first to test Young Lions keeper Hassan Sunny.
In the 18th minute, the 36-year-old former Thai international played a quick free-kick with Oliveira, before cutting in from the left and letting fly.
Hassan was at his alert-best though, getting into the perfect position along his line to cradle the shot.
Two minutes later, Surachai touched the ball on for Oliveira, who in turn tried to bend a shot from 20 metres out. It was a fantastic effort, causing confusion within the area, but unfortunately hit the post.
Young Lions skipper Baihakki Khaizan was not having his best game tonight, and his errant pass in the 24th minute was intercepted by Indra. The 26-year-old striker wiggled his way past his attendant before snapping a vicious shot low into the bottom corner.
Hassan was again up to the mark, diving low to turn the ball behind for a corner.
On 39 minutes, Oliveria found himself trapped down the right. He played the ball back for Surachai who then, with the deftest of touches, switched play to the left by angling a pass for Siva Kumar.
Hassan again was there to bail his shaky defence out again. This time he rushed out quickly to prevent Siva Kumar from cutting the ball back for an unmarked Egmar Goncalves and instead turned it away.
Young Lions' Kamarulariffin Abdul Karim was having a torrid time at right-back, seeing as to how all but one of the Home goal-shooting opportunities came from his area of protection. Inevitably, and unfortunately for the 21-year-old, Home finally took the lead when his defensive ineptness was exploited in first half injury time.
From just inside the Young Lions' half, Anuruck played a hopeful over-the-top through ball. Kamarulariffin misjudged his attempted header to clear, and the ball found the feet of Indra. Arguably one of the fastest strikers in the S-League, Indra's first touch was brilliant as he raced his way into the box.
Hassan rushed out from his line to close the angle with his defence still caught flat-footed, but the striker played a perfect slide-rule pass for his strike partner Egmar, who had the simple task of stroking the ball into an empty net.
If the Young Lions had started the match the brighter of the two sides in the first, it was Home who took the initiative in the second.
Barely three minutes after the restart, Indra again intercepted an errant pass by Baihakki. Two quick passes later lead to a stinging Surachai shot, but again, Hassan was quick on his line, this time flamboyantly diving to his left to hold on to the shot. A lesser keeper would have simply turned the ball away.
Credit to the Young Lions, and especially the defence, for settling down well from that scare, and it might have taken them the entire first half, but the cubs were finally starting to play as a pack.
The introduction of Juma'at Jantan in the 57th minute proved inspirational for the home side, as he injected much needed drive and urgency into a largely lethargic outfit.
But the Protectors hit once again on the break, when Egmar released Oliveira on the left-hand side in the box. Kamarulariffin was inattentive once again, leaving Hassan no choice but to come off his line.
The result was a carbon copy of the first goal. This time, Oliveira slid the ball square for a welcoming Indra to steer the ball into an unguarded net to make it 2-0 to Home United.
The Protectors stepped off the pedal thereafter, and the Young Lions had more time on the ball.
And, as witnessed many times this season, if there is one thing the Young Lions are noted for, it is their resilience. A team that never says die, all rallying behind Shi and the emerging influence of Itimi.
Dickson was everywhere, coming in deep to collect the ball, tirelessly running at and by defenders, getting knocked down but always coming straight back up for another try.
It was his effort that earned his side their first goal. He released substitute Ridhuan Muhamad down the right flank, and Ridhuan whipped in a beautiful cross into the Home penalty area.
Khairul gracefully chested the ball down before firing in a sweet volley. His former teammate Lewis pulled off a brilliant reflex save but from the rebound, Itimi was adjudged to have been impeded upon as he was challenging for the loose ball, earning his side a penalty.
Shi stepped up, struck his penalty but Lewis flung himself to his right to save. However, assistant referee Nazeer Hussain judged that Lewis moved early and referee S.Kumar whistled for the spot-kick to be retaken.
Shi stepped up again, calm and collected as ever, and this time Lewis chose to dive the wrong way as the Young Lions pulled one back.
The Young Lions roared their way back into contention. And in the 80th minute, their persistence was rewarded, from the most unlikely of sources.
Defending outside his own penalty area, Indra collected the ball. From out of nowhere, the imposing figure of Precious Emuejeraye charged him down, out-muscling the striker before his next touch took him inside the box.
Emuejeraye drove the ball low and hard into the six-yard area and Khairul timed his run to perfection, emphatically dispatching his shot high into the roof of the net to level the score, much to the delight of the home fans amongst the 3,244-strong crowd.
Home United though had one more chance to come away with all three points when Egmar turned his marker in the 83rd minute.
But once again, Man-of-the-Match Hassan Sunny was there to ensure his side held on for the draw.
After the game, Young Lions coach Fandi Ahmad had a reason to be disappointed.
He said: "(We) played better in the first half but once again could not score, and I guarantee you, every time we play good football but cannot score, the opponent will strike.
"But for the last 20 minutes, the boys showed their never-give-up attitude and they were rewarded. Even though I feel we should not have been in that position in the first place (going 2 goals down) I am delighted and extremely proud of their performance."
Best player: It is a tough call to make. Itimi Dickson was tireless and utterly unselfish throughout the contest. He was left. He was right. He was twisting, turning, getting knocked down. But he was the epitome of the spirit of the resilience for the Young Lions. However, for his command of his area and protecting the goal behind a normally reputable defence, Hassan Sunny gets the nod. Both the goals were no fault of his, but if it were not for him, Home United would have landed a landslide victory tonight.
Disappointing: Without a doubt, Baihakki Khaizan. We all know what this kid is capable of. He has quick feet, a brilliant footballing brain, and most importantly, all the right intangibles to succeed. Much of the nation's hopes of success lie on his shoulders, but if, as his coach agrees, he learns to play to his strengths and not try to do too much, everything else will fall into place. A projected mainstay of the national team for the next decade, and undoubted leader of this team, he needs to heed that advice.