Referee error sees SAFFC through to semi-final after penalty shootout against Tampines Rovers in League Cup football

By Koh Yizhe/Red Sports. Pictures by Leslie Tan/Red Sports.

Jalan Besar Stadium, Saturday, June 14, 2009 – With the score still 1-1 after 120 minutes of intense football in the quarter-final of the 2009 League Cup, Singapore Armed Forces FC finally triumphed over rivals Tampines Rovers FC in the dreaded penalty kicks, winning the shootout 4-3 in sudden death.

Tampines Rovers will feel hard done by when they had a Noh Alam Shah goal just before the 90 minutes were up ruled offside even though it looked onside.??John Wilkinson, Aleksandar Duric and Shaiful Esah missed for SAFFC in the shootout.

Tampines didn’t do much better – Noh Alam Shah, Mustafic Fahrudin and Firdus Kasman missed as well with Kasman's spot-kick hitting the under-side of the bar before deflecting out to put SAFFC through to the semi-final.

Their last encounter in the S.League was a heated match with both sides losing a player each through red cards. SAFFC came back from two goals down to win that game 4-2, but national and Tampines Rovers striker Noh Alam Shah stole the headlines when he got his marching orders for an elbow on national teammate and SAFFC defender Daniel Bennett.

This time, however, Noh Alam Shah started on the bench, but Tampines Rovers fans vividly remembered the incident as they booed Daniel Bennett each time he touched the ball.

Both teams gave it their all in the opening stages and it showed with strong tackles flying around, but it was Tampines who took the lead through a long-ranged thunderbolt by Seiji Kaneko in the 11th minute. He was given time and space to unleash pile-driver that was just beyond the reach of Shahril Jantan and it cannoned off the far post and into the back of the net.

The Stags continued to create a host of chances with Aliff Shafaein almost doubling his side's lead a minute later when his shot hit the the post before Muhamad Ridhuan sent the rebound over with an excessively ambitious over-head kick.

A Tampines free kick was deflected just over before Ridhuan forced a save out of Shahril Jantan when he made a shot from the right following his darting run into the box.

Tampines' striker Qiu Li also missed another fantastic opportunity as he did well to connect with a drive across goal, but his effort went narrowly wide of the post.

Things didn't look good for SAFFC as they only had Aleksandar Duric's cut-back, which deflected off the post, to show for their efforts in the first half. Another set-back came five minutes before half-time when winger Ahmad Latiff was taken off with a tight hamstring problem for Syed Karim. SAFFC were fortunate to be only 1-0 behind at the interval.

Tampines Rovers captain Mustafic Fahrudin started things brightly for Tampines Rovers as he flashed a corner over the bar before Aleksandar Duric almost equalise for the Warriors. Duric held the ball too long with Park Tae Won open on his right.

SAFFC began to carve out opportunities as they controlled the pace of the game with Duric missing another chance in the 64th minute when he was through on goal with only the keeper to beat, but his shot was brilliantly saved by the on-rushing Hassan Sunny.

Tampines' hero Noh Alam Shah was then brought on to make something special happen, but his first action of the game was to get himself into the referee's book after he made a late challenge on Daniel Bennett.

Instead, it was SAFFC who scored the equalising goal through a Shaiful Esah free kick in the 68th minute. His free kick from a long way out went past a sea of heads and bodies that took the slightest of touches from Kenji Arai before slipping into the far corner of the net.

Just four minutes later, Ridhuan missed a sitter to give his side the lead again. Noh Alam Shah flashed the ball to the unmarked Ridhuan at the far post, but with the goal gaping at his mercy, he sent his shot across goal wide.

A minute later, the ball was swung across the face of SAFFC's goal again, but this time two players were unable to make the necessary contact to steer it into goal.

Towards the end of the game, SAFFC controlled the match while Tampines relied on counter attacks to create chances. SAFFC were given two chances to take the match in regulation time from two free kicks.

First, Park was taken down at the edge of the area five minutes before time and Shaiful Esah’s stinging shot found Hassan Sunny's hands. Next, John Wilkinson forced a fine save for Sunny when he was bundled over by Mustafic in an identical position.

But there was more drama to come however, as the ball was crossed to the on-rushing Noh Alam Shah who made a darting run behind the defense at the far post. He made no mistake from six yards out as he put the ball beyond the stranded Shahril Jantan. To his dismay however, the goal was ruled offside, and the first 90 minutes ended in a 1-1 draw.

With legs getting heavy, both teams were cautious in extra-time. Clear chances were rare with the only chance coming from Tampines' Firdaus Kasman forcing a save from the out-stretched Shahril Jantan.

Both sides were horrid in the shootout as John Wilkinson and Aleksandar Duric had their weak attempts saved by Sunny, while Sutee Siksomkit and Mustafic Fahrudin were denied by Shahril Jantan's foot which brought the score to 2-2.

Shaiful Eash then sent the keeper the wrong way, but his shot failed to hit the mark, which gave Noh Alam Shah a chance to be Tampines' hero and win the match for his side. However, his attempt to the keeper's right was weak and it was easily kept out by Jantan, bringing the match to sudden death with the scores still at 2-2.

Masahiro Fukasawa (SAFFC) and Benoit Croissant (Tampines Rovers) then scored for their respective sides before Kenji Arai made it 4-3 to the Warriors. Firdaus Kasman then stepped up to take Tampines' next penalty, but his kick was too hard and cannoned off the inside of the bar and bounced out, giving the match to SAFFC.

"In the first half, Tampines played well and created chances, but we came back strongly in the second and changed the game,” commented SAFFC coach Richard Bok. “There were good attacking plays from both sides, but we couldn't win in 90 minutes. Both teams were cautious in extra-time and that's why it ended 1-1."

On why he removed Ahmad Latiff in the first half, he said, "He had a tight hamstring and since this is a long season with many matches still left to play and I don't have a very big squad, I had to take him off."

The Warriors will next play Home United in the League Cup semi-final. Home United beat Gombak United 3-2 earlier in the week for a spot in the semi-final.

The other semi-final will be between Woodlands Wellington, who beat Super Red on penalties, and Brunei DPMM, who overcame Geylang United 5-3.