Bishan Park beat Queensway 2-0 to win South Zone B Division football title

By Coach Dick Yip

CCAB, Friday, March 23, 2007 – Bishan Park beat Queensway 2-0 with a goal in each half to win the South Zone B Division Football Championship title last Friday at CCAB.

The covered spectator stands were packed to the brim with supporters from the two schools. As the game ended, the skies opened up resulting in a slight delay to the start of this South Zone B Final. Looking around, I saw John Chia, an old friend and a veteran of the local soccer scene giving out instructions to the Queensway boys. I approached John, the coach of Queensway  for some comments.

"Mine is a young team. Our opponents are older and have more experience. They have several really good players. But I only have an outstanding player in no. 3, our central defender, who despite his size, is an excellent reader of the game. There are a couple more who are not ready yet but they will be. Just watch them blossom…… next year!" Before the game started, I asked him for his prediction of the outcome. Ever the astute coach he is, he quipped, " The ground is wet and rain is still pouring, anything can happen so it is a 50 – 50 chance, with Bishan Park having some advantage."

John was spot on in his observations when Bishan Park, the more experienced of the two finalists, went on to score two goals without reply and won the match and coveted South Zone title. Queensway repeated their previous best finishing when they were second in the South Zone in 2004.

The 1st half was played in quite a heavy drizzle throughout, with the all whites of Qeensway dominating the Bishan Park half in the first 15 minutes. The whites had several chances but no clear shots at goal. Queensway’s first real chance came in the 12th minute when their no. 13 was fouled and a free kick was awarded . No. 3 struck a well placed shot which bounced once before the alert Bishan Park keeper caught it. 5 minutes later, he tried a speculative long shot which just whistled past the right post. Bishan Park had counter attacked with high balls to their forwards and wingers but were flagged off-side a few times. But in the 18th minute they timed the pass and the run up to perfection to beat the off-side trap. Gaining the ball in midfield, it took one good, accurate pass for Bishan Park’s no. 7 Muhairin to chase after the ball which left the Queensway defenders trailing. And with only the goalkeeper to beat, he coolly slotted the ball into the net for the blacks (Bishan Park were all dressed in all black) to lead 1 – 0.

Suddenly, everything seemed to come alive. There were loud chants and  rhythmic drum beats at the stands in response to the opening goal. But the more important action was on the field when Queensway’s no.17 almost ended the Bishan Park celebrations when he struck a thunderous shot at goal which was kept out by the fully stretched Bishan Park goalkeeper. Then, at the half-hour mark, Bishan Park had a throw in on the left flank by no. 6. The ball was headed to Bishan Park’s no.10 right in front of the goal. He corked his head, connected and it should have been the second goal! But the header just went over the bar.

The whites never gave up. Over at Bishan Park’s end, Queesnway had a corner kick taken by right winger no.6 who swung in a wicked ball. The Bishan Park goalkeeper rushed out but missed it completely. The whites headed powerfully in and should have produced the equaliser. But a black defender was at the right spot, on the goal line, to head it out. In the 37th minute, Queensway’s goalkeeper nearly committed hara-kiri when he tried to dribble out a pass but lost possession to a Bishan Park striker who could not capitalise.

With a narrow one-goal lead, the Bishan Park dominated the opening minutes of the second half in determined fashion. They went in search of the second goal with greater confidence in their passing and movements, helped by the clear skies. Desperately trying to check and break up their fluidity, Queensway’s no. 17 was given the first yellow card of the game in the 6th minute for a bad tackle. The first real chance of a goal for Queensway came in the 13th minute when a 30-metre shot blasted from a free kick was saved by the keeper. Queensway’s no.17 actually scored in the next minute but the goal was disallowed for off-side.

In the 16th minute, Bishan Park’s no.10, with a clear chance, hit a thunderous shot which bounced off the cross bar. The pace and tempo of the game picked up at the half way mark of this period. Players from both sides were beginning to get cramps and injuries from all the exertions on the heavy pitch.  Timely substitutions were made. There was still much drama left in these closing minutes of the game. For five minutes, the whites had a good, solid attacking spell. Solid defending by Bishan Park took care of that. With 10 minutes to go, Queensway had the best chance in this period. They managed to beat the off-side trap, much like their rivals did earlier, but blacks’ no.15 came to the rescue with a desperate clearance to save the situation.

Then came the 2nd goal.  In the 36th minute, Bishan Park’s no.12 Zamri, who came on moments ago as a sub, had the ball. He kept it well, executed a few deft skips and side steps to avoid the defenders and found himself with only the gk to beat. What did he do? With cool, calm composure, and knowing the defenders would be on him soon, he slotted the ball between the legs of the advancing Queensway goalkeeper who instantly knew it was the end! That second goal, coming this late, produced an even louder celebration on the stands. In injury time, the black’s no.10 was booked for a crunching tackle. That was the last major action of the game before the referee blew the final whistle.

As soon as the game ended, the blacks ran off the field to celebrate, picking up a pail filled with water and doused it over their teacher i/c cum coach Tan Chee Beng who sportingly smiled, taking it all as the exuberance of a deserved victory. When I spoke with him about my  good impression of the goal-winning hero, no.12  Zamri, Tan gently asked me, "Have you heard of Khairul Amri, our national team player with the Young Lions? Well, this Zamri is the younger version – his younger brother!"  So, now I know and now you all know too that the football gene runs in the family. Congratulations to Bishan Park, the Champions! And to John Chia and the Queensway boys, we’ll be certainly watching out for your young squad.