HOCKEY

National ‘B’ Division
Yuhua Secondary vs St Andrew’s Secondary
Monday, 19 March 2007 at Delta Sports Complex

Match Report by Coach Dick Yip. Pictures by Leslie Tan. © Red Sports/soulbreath pictures
Editor’s note: The final between Sengkang and Yuhua has been played last Thursday. Sengkang won 1-0. See previous post.

St Andrew’s Secondary had a dream start with a goal within two minutes of the start but finally succumbed 2-1 to Yuhua Secondary in the last minutes of the game to lose out on a place in the final.

Saints get ready for a penalty corner.

With the sun slowly sinking beneath the skyline and evening’s early shadows falling, the stage could not have been set any better for an exciting and thrilling battle between these two top hockey-playing schools. As I sat myself down rather uncomfortably on the bare concrete steps of the gallery with supporters of the two schools around me, I pulled out my notepad and pen, jotting down a few pertinent points of interest. The sudden blast of the umpire’s whistle jolted me. I looked up and set my stopwatch to start mode which is my usual practice. The game had begun. Within 20 seconds, SA had a corner. They tried a speculative drive into the D but the ball was cleared upfield by Yuhua defenders. The Saints regained possession in their half, moved the ball intelligently to the center midfield, then in a series of quick, effective passes across the width of the pitch and looking real menacing as they went forward, the ball was played along the flanks. Through some incisive inter-play and short passes, the ball was stroked to Saints no.4, striker Wira who was poaching in the D. Without hesitation, he latched on to it and whipped in a cracking shot towards the Yuhua goal which caught  everyone by surprise. The ball sailed through the packed defence and ended at the back of the net. Instantly, there was a loud roar from the SA camp. The Yuhua players looked at each other in stunned, total disbelief. No one could blame them as I looked at my stopwatch to confirm the time at 1: 06 seconds. That must have been one of the fastest goal scored in this whole tournament! Saints 1, Yuhua 0.

Saints’ no.4 Wira, the scorer of his team’s only goal in the match.
SA, realising their good fortune and boosted by that early goal, went all out to score a second. They were really impressive going forward, their players clicking well. Yuhua, to their great credit, did not allow this early setback to affect their overall play. They warmed up to the task facing them and keeping their cool and calm, matched their rivals in every department of the game. Awarded a penalty corner in the 12th minute, they messed up the execution. By the 20th minute, Yuhua had yet to seriously test the Saint’s cordon of defence. But when they did so in the 23rd minute of play, it was to prove most rewarding. Again, as in the earlier semi-final, it needed the individual brilliance  of some exquisite stickwork that paved the way for the equaliser. From their own D, Yuhua moved the ball upfield carefully, with intricate passes and defence-splitting crosses. No.23 Din, the right midfielder, caught  the ball, controlled it, swerved and cracked in an unstoppable shot for their 1st goal. Yuhua’s camp celebrated on the steps. Score: SA 1,  Yuhua 1. Both sides had numerous chances to regain the lead before the 1st period ended. But  all were wasted by poor shooting or excellent defending.

A Yuhua player in action against Saints.

With the score tied at 1 – 1, the second half started with composed, balanced play by both sides. Then SA upped the attacking tempo in the next 15 minutes, forcing an early penalty corner in the 5th minute which almost resulted in a goal. Saints no.10 hit a powerful, accurate shot which produced a reflex-action save from the Yuhua keeper. SA kept up the pressure and was again rewarded with their second penalty corner in the 10th minute. Another hard, accurate shot was blasted towards goal . Another great save by a defender. There was simply no let up to the all-out attacking play by the Saints in search of the winning goal. It should have happened a little later when SA no. 9 had the best chance presented to him on a platter. With the goal at his mercy (the goalkeeper was already beaten), he somehow contrived to miss the open goal! That stupendous miss would prove fatal and costly for SA as a revitalised Yuhua regrouped towards the closing stages of the game for one last final effort in attack. They had defended remarkably well and now Yuhua playing their best hockey, moving the ball from right to left, across the width of the pitch to confuse their opponents. The ball was eventually pushed to no.17 Sairul Nizam, a central defender who joined in the attack. Sairul held onto the ball, then went on a solo run into the D, displaying exceptional dribbling and stickwork to outsmart SA’s defenders. While still running, he whacked an explosive reverse stick shot which rose upwards towards the top corner of the goal. It was simply the most majestic and memorable goal of the entire afternoon of hockey. Such beauty in execution, such poetry in motion. The jubilation of the elated Yuhua players contrasted sadly with the forlorn figure of the Saints goalkeeper, who was slumped on his knees in abject misery.

A short while later, the umpire blew his whistle to signal the end of this hard-fought, close encounter.

Saints’ keeper, in misery at the end of the game, sits alone to contemplate the defeat.

Yuhua players celebrate their second goal in the dying minutes scored by Sairul Nizam (3rd from right) with their bench cheering them on.