Opponent Watch: Albirex Niigata (S)

Woodlands will start the next match in 12th position against 4th placed Albirex Niigata (S) but the White Swans coach, Koichi Sugiyama, will not be taking the Rams lightly.

557 fans witnessed a real battle the last time these 2 sides met at Jalan Besar and it took a last minute goal from Yasuhiro Yamakoshi, who thanked the heavens after finding the ball falling to his feet with the goal at his mercy, following a defensive mix-up between Fabien Lewis and Ahmadulhaq Che Omar.

Four months have passed since that game and while the White Swans have maintained their position at the top half of the S.League table, the Rams seemed to have lost their footing right after that match, falling from 3rd position into the cellar. The Rams, which had won two consecutive matches before that fateful game, never really recovered from that loss to Albirex.

Although a win is a win, the result in March only serves to flatter the White Swans as they laboured to find a way past a stubborn Woodlands defence. Japanese hitman Toshikazu Soya, who had scored 3 goals before meeting Woodlands, was kept quiet throughout the match and cut a frustrated figure up front. 

In order to grind out a result at Jurong East, our defence must aim to keep the potent Japanese outfit out like they did at Jalan Besar.

Expect a real battle in midfield between Armanizam Dolah and Musashi Okuyama.
Photo Credit:  Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

We will also probably see the White Swans marking Moon Soon-Ho tightly, as the Korean is generally perceived as the greatest threat to the Japanese. With an average of a goal scored in every two matches, Moon is equally dangerous as a creator and has 3 assists to his name so far, the highest among a list of assistants that include Daniel Hammond, Armanizam Dolah and Goh Swee Swee.

Moon also seems to be Albirex's bogeyman, scoring in the first minute when he played against the White Swans last season after joining Woodlands during the mid-season transfer window. The former Cheonan City star could have made it 2 goals in 2 matches against Albirex but Albirex custodian Takuma Ito managed to somehow defy gravity and palm away Moon's audacious lob in the first leg of this fixture in 2012. Moon's partnership with Hussein Akil, who scored his third goal in our last match against Geylang, will also be something to look out for. Moon has assisted Akil in two of those goals, and Akil could very use make use of the tight marking on the Korean to peel away with the ball with his blistering pace.

Moon will be tightly marked by the Japanese.
Photo Credit:  Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Albirex's recent Singapore Cup match against Tampines shows that the Japanese are suspect to breaches in concentration, having given away a first half lead to concede two goals to the Stags in the second half. The White Swans went on to lose the game and the Rams must exploit these lapses.

The Albirex man to watch out for would be the talismatic Yasuhiro Yamakoshi, who always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Yamakoshi has 5 goals to his name so far, as many as first choice striker Soya, and our defence needs to keep a close eye on him. At 172cm, he may not pose much of an aerial threat but our twin towers need to be wary of his quick feet.

Albirex's midfield fulcrum, Atsushi Shimono, may not be the most graceful player on the pitch, nor the making the headlines by getting on the scoresheet for the White Swans, but the midfielder with the luscious locks is one of the most hardworking players on the pitch. A quiet but solid performer, he puts in the tackles where they matter, and his crisp passing would cause problems for any team. Armanizam Dolah will need to be at his best to match Shimono in this one.

The work of the tireless Atsushi Shimono must be nipped at the bid.
Photo Credit:  Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Albirex's "smiling assassin", Sho Kamimura, would also be a handful for the Rams. The 23 year old may only have 3 goals at the moment, but he is always on the prowl for more goals.

Against an organized Albirex Niigata (S), Woodlands will need to maintain their composure and churn out a result. It will be a match where there's plenty of passing and running involved, and the Rams will need to adopt a patient approach.

The last time we lost to Albirex, we gave them too much respect and only started attacking after a good 15 minutes had gone by. Yes, let's respect the opponent, but not to the point where we are simply being eaten like a bunch of sacrificial lambs.

Come On You Rams! We shall Never Surrender!

Match Information
Date: Wednesday, 11th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Jurong East Stadium

Reaction:Geylang vs Woodlands Wellington

After a disappointing draw at Bedok Stadium, Woodlands' fans will no doubt feel hard done by Sukhbir Singh's questionable decisions but in truth, the referee was handing out dubious decisions against the Eagles as well. Sukhbir called for an offside decision against Geylang's Michael King, who did not seem to be offside before putting the ball in the back of the net.

When the spot kick was given against Woodlands, ostensibly for a handball in the box by the returning Neil Vanu, Jozef Kaplán's successful penalty conversion further perpetuated the Rams' record of win-less games to 12 matches.

Jozef Kaplán breaks the Black Sheep's hearts.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Try as they might, the Rams found it hard to replicate the 3 -1 victory at Woodlands Stadium in February. Moon Soon-Ho came closest to scoring the match winner but his cheeky flick in the Geylang penalty box could only hit the frame of the goal as Geylang custodian Yazid Yasin was left stranded. This was the third time that a Woodlands player had crashed a shot against the post in as many weeks, following Daniel Hammond and Aloysius Yap's efforts against Tanjong Pagar and the Courts Young Lions respectively.

The stalemate at Bedok was also our third draw in the competition, the other two coming from our matches against Gombak United and SAFFC.

Duncan Elias had a solid game, protecting our left flank well.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Geylang's new signing, Stefan Milojevic, was a handful with his height and frame, but the French-Serbian met his match in the twin towers of Daniel Hammond and Fabien Lewis. Armanizam Dolah was also fielded as the midfield enforcer of the day as Han Yiguang had to sit out this match after getting a red card in the last round's match against the Young Lions.

Armanizam did a good job, protecting the back four and keeping Michael King quiet for the most part of the game, as well as pushing the ball forward for Moon and Akil.

Neil Vanu made his first start immediately after returning from his one year stint with the Young Lions, and the forward added plenty of pace and trickery to the Woodlands attack.

Hussein Akil and Michael King in an aerial duel.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

It wasn't hard to imagine who would score the first goal when we have one of the best strike partnerships playing in the S.League for us when Hussein Akil latched on to a Moon Soon-Ho assist to slot home his third goal of the season.

Playing for a team languishing in the bottom, the pair certainly have an amazing record of 10 goals and 3 assists between them. Even S.League.com's writer, Gary Koh, was impressed with what he saw:

"The foreign strike pair of Moon Soon Ho and Akil were constantly putting the white shirts on the back foot as they dictated the pace of the game in the first half.

They showed fluency in their passing and movement going forward, while Geylang were content to punt hopeful long balls that were often received by grateful blue shirts." (source)

Hussein celebrates with Neil after he slots home his third goal of the season.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Well, as we lick our wounds and look forward to the next match against Albirex, the Rams must retain their tenacious mentality which they displayed in the matches against Tanjong Pagar, Courts Young Lions and Geylang. The season ain't over till its over.

Come On You Rams! Never Surrender!

For more photos of the match, please check out Andrew's album here.

Opponent Watch: Geylang United

Tonight's clash with Geylang United has been unceremoniously billed as the "bottom of the table clash". Starting off the season brightly, the Rams have seen themselves slip from 3rd place in March to their present 12th position and only Geylang have it much worse than us.

However, the Eagles are level on points with us and they have a game in hand. This  means that Woodlands has to leave Bedok Stadium with nothing less than a victory. If we were to fall at the Eagles' den, that would condemn us to our 6th consecutive loss, and perpetuate our current barren run of 11 matches without a win. To put it simply, this is a fixture that the Rams cannot afford to lose.

When these sides met on 19th February, strikes from Hussein Akil, Goh Swee Swee and Moon Soon-Ho gave the Rams a 3 -1 victory at Woodlands Stadium. Goh's magnificent strike would no doubt still be playing in the minds of Rams' fans, and the speedy winger will be looking to add to his tally of 2 goals tonight.

Moon and Akil, one of the best partnerships in Woodlands' recent history so far.
Photo Credit:  Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Woodlands' best bet of scoring would rest squarely on the shoulders of "Super Moon" Moon Soon-Ho. The prolific striker has 7 goals to his name this season, including one against Kanbawza FC in the RHB Singapore Cup, and he would definitely be hungry for more. The former Super Reds star has scored 15 times for the Rams since joining Woodlands during last season's mid-season transfer window, and after appearing 31 times in our yellow kit, the Korean hitman averages a goal every two games, a wonderful record for a team that's second from bottom. Moon has scored in the last two matches against Kanbawza and Courts Young Lions (what a beauty that was!) and he could very well hit three on the trot against a porous Geylang defence that has leaked in 29 goals this season.

Much of Woodlands' attack could be attributed to the telepathic understanding between Moon and his strike partner, Hussein Akil. The Aussie-Lebanese may not be racking up the numbers in terms of goals (he has 2 so far) but his spirited running and assists have ensured that Moon has a steady string of ammo up upfront.

The return of Woodlands protégé Neil Vanu would also boost our chances in attack and the promising young striker will be looking to prove himself after being left mostly on the bench during his time with the Young Lions. Couple that with the hardworking pair of Goh Swee Swee and former Geylang man Guntur Djafril plying the wings and we look all set to go for this one.

Josef Kaplán, top scorer for the Eagles with 4 goals.
Photo Credit:  Geylang United Football Club

However, all is not lost for the Eagles. Woodlands has failed to win in the last 5 matches while Geylang boasts a better record of losing 2, drawing 2 and winning 1. In fact, they fought to a hard earned draw against SAFFC, at Choa Chu Kang Stadium, no less, in their last round and actually came from 2 - 0 down after 25 minutes to equalise on 78 minutes and send the Ultra Eagles into rapture. Woodlands, on the other hand, have been pretty unlucky during the last two matches. The Rams really should have won the game against a 10 men Tanjong Pagar, while the puzzling decisions from referee Abdul Malik left much to be desired. Both Daniel Hammond and Aloysius Yap were left reeling as their respective efforts against the Jaguars and Young Lions rebounded off the goalpost at Woodlands Stadium.

Geylang United also recently announced the signing of Serbian forward Stefan Milojevic (source) and the former Birmingham youngster will be looking to form an effective partnership with Geylang star Michael King upfront. King impressed with his mazy dribbles at Woodlands in February, and our defence will need to pay extra attention to the damage these two can cause up front. Geylang's top scorer, Josef Kapláň (4 goals), must also be tightly marked for this one.

We want to see this tonight!
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

The last time these two sides met here in Bedok, Geylang came away with a 1 - 0 victory courtesy of a solitary Jung-Hee Bong goal which settled the game in the 59th minute. If we were to dig further into the history books, the record seems even more dismal for Woodlands as the Eagles recorded victories in Bedok Stadium in 2010 (1-0) and even bigger victories in 2009 (4-0) and 2008 (4-1). The two sides drew here in 2007 in a match that ended one all and the last time the Rams tasted victory in Bedok was on 19 April 2006, where we ran out 3-1 winners. Laakkad Abdelhadi scored a brace in that one while Agu Casmir topped the icing on the cake with a goal in between Laakkad's strikes.

Well, for our boys, I say let's rewrite the history books tonight by notching our first win at Bedok since 2006. The Eagles are not playing well this year and this is out chance. Go for it!

Out of 25 matches played head to head, the Rams have won 13 while the Eagles fare slightly worse at 12 wins. Expect plenty of goals at the Bedok Stadium as these two sides will be fighting a real battle to see whether the Eagles stay rooted to the bottom, or climb above the Rams.

Be there at Bedok Stadium to soak up the action tonight!

And to our boys, Never Surrender!


Match Information
Date: Friday, 21th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Bedok Stadium

Welcome Home, Neil

The Black Sheep is pleased to announce that Navin Neil Vanu has completed his transfer to Woodlands Wellington Football Club following his tenure with the Courts Young Lions.

The 22 year old striker was called up to the Young Lions squad in 2011 after putting in a string of good performances for the Rams in his 2 seasons with the senior squad. During the Young Lions' SEA Games campaign, Neil played in 2 international matches during the SEA Games and scored a wonderful header against Cambodia.

Neil can operate as a striker or a winger and has impressed many with his nifty footwork and blazing pace. He has been assigned the number 34 jersey and may make his first appearance for the Rams this coming Thursday against Geylang United.

Neil celebrating his first international goal against Cambodia.
Source: The New Paper

 He was spotted in the stands in Woodlands' home match against Courts Young Lions but was not cleared to play as his transfer had not been completed at that time yet.

We look forward to Neil's contributions to aid the Rams in their bid to climb up the table this second half of the season.

Reaction: Woodlands vs Young Lions

Despite an magnificent early Moon Soon-Ho strike which gave us a glimmer of hope to finally break our eleven match winless streak, the Rams found themselves on the losing end once again as the Courts Young Lions clamoured back in the final 13 minutes to score two goals to reverse the score in their favour.

Super Moon celebrating after his wonderful strike on 14 minutes.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

The match seemed to be headed for the same scoreline when these sides met in February but it was not to be as Young Lions substitute Nazrul Ahmad Nazari slotted home the equalizer off a square ball from Sirina Camara in the 77th minute.
 

Sirina Camara was essential in both defence and attack for the Young Lions.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Two minutes later, the Woodlands bench was forced to change the shape of the squad after midfield enforcer, Han Yiguang, was harshly sent off after a second bookable offence. The referee left question marks in everyone's heads as several tackles that flew in from the Young Lions had gone unpunished.

Shamsurin was full of running when he came on.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

 The numerical advantage proved to be crucial for the Young Lions as Sherif El-Masri, clearly the best Young Lions player on the pitch that night, sprinted down the left before passing the ball to Faris Ramli, who had the simplest task of tapping the ball in to tip the score in the Young Lions' favour.

Aloysius Yap's shot crashed off the crossbar in the dying minutes.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Despite going down, the Rams displayed the "Never Surrender" attitude that had been sorely missing in the first half of the season and kept plying forward despite having the odds stacked firmly against them. Daniel Hammond was deployed as a striker and the midfield pushed their line higher into the Young Lions' half. The gamble nearly paid off when Rams' substitute Aloysius Yap crashed his shot against the crossbar, giving the Young Lions a huge scare. The scorcher could have ricocheted anywhere, but unfortunately the shot rebounded down and away from the goal line and was quickly cleared by a panicky Young Lions defence.

A frustrated Daniel Hammond after the match in a wonderfully taken shot.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

The final score surely does not do any justice to the Rams, who kept battling on and had the Lions share (pun not intended) of the possession. We can also take heart from Moon's brilliantly taken goal, created by the spirited Goh Swee Swee who kept the pressure on the Young Lions defence, as the Korean continues his goalscoring form following his penalty against Kanbawza FC in our last competitive game. Super Moon has 7 goals to his name so far, and statistically speaking, the prolific striker averages a goal every two games, having scored 14 times in 29 appearances for the Rams since his mid-season transfer last year.

Rams' "new boy" Neil Vanu was also spotted in the stands but the young striker was unable to play as his mid-season transfer had not been completed yet. Neil had previously played for the Rams from 2010 to mid 2011, when he was snapped up by the Courts Young Lions in view of the 2011 SEA Games. What a sensation it would have been if he had come on to score against his former club but alas, it was not to be. We will probably see him in action when the Rams take on Geylang United next on 21st June and we certainly hope they can carry their battling attitude forward to that encounter at Bedok Stadium.

Come On You Rams! Never Surrender!

For more photos of the match, please check out Andrew's album here.

Rams and Young Lions fans (and 1 Albirex fan) convene during half time.
Photo Credit: Aaron Chan (The Black Sheep)

Opponent Watch: Courts Young Lions

It has been a month long break away from top flight action for all our Rams and I am sure that everyone is raring to go in the opener of the S-League's second half where we play the energetic Courts Young Lions at the Woodlands Stadium this Friday.

Courts Young Lions coach, former international Robin Chitrakar.
Photo Credit:  Courts Young Lions

Despite their poor start to the season where they clocked 6 defeats and 1 draw, the Young Lions seemed to have turned their season around in April with that impressive 5 - 0 thrashing of Tanjong Pagar. That victory in Queenstown Stadium seemed to have reclaimed some belief in the squad, and they began to churn out the results that slowly pulled them out of the slump.

With crucial wins over Gombak United and Hougang, as well as a draw against Albirex Niigata (S), the Young Lions have risen above Woodlands to 10th spot with 11 points after 13 matches played, while the Rams lie in 12th spot.

The departure of defender Abdil Qaiyyim Mutalib to the LionsXII squad, plus the talk of more players being drafted over, seemed to have minimal impact on unsettling the Young Lions and they could potentially climb even further up the table if they continue playing they way they are right now.

Jonathan Toto has been sensational so far.
Photo Credit:  Courts Young Lions

One reason why the Young Lions have been able to bounce back from the cellar can be attributed to the sensational form of  Jonathan Toto. The prolific striker has 6 goals to his name already and he looks set to meet or exceed the 12 goals he scored for Etoile FC last season. His impressive performances for the Young Lions earned him a callup to the S-League All Stars squad which played against the FirstXI and the 22 year old Frenchman is on his way to becoming a true S-League legend.

Super Moon in action against Courts Young Lions in February.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

When the LionsXII project was initiated, critics were quick to point out that the Young Lions would have a tough time in the league considering that they have lost a large majority of their players to the Malaysian Super League. However, that doesn't seem to be the case as the Young Lions aren't faring too badly at the moment.

Top scorer Toto is usually flanked on both sides by wingers Benjamin Kristofferson-Lee and Sherif El-Masri. The Rams must pay extra attention to the tricky El-Masri, who is already well known in the league for his agility, mazy runs and playmaking skills.

Sherif El-Masri, the Canadian wizard.
Photo Credit: Courts Young Lions

Despite the heavy presence of foreign influence within the Young Lions squad, Robin Chitrakar also has at his disposal various local players with immense potential. Defender Al-Qaasimy Abdul Rahman will lead the Lions backline in a couple of years from now, while midfielder Faritz Abdul Hameed and Shahfiq Ghani could give any S-League player a run for their money. Faritz even featured in the S-League All Stars alongside Toto.

Benjamin Kristofferson-Lee takes on Duncan Elias.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

The last time these two teams met in February, it was a close contest which was eventually settled by Moon Soon-Ho's 49th minute penalty. What is your guess on the score and the winner this time round?

Be there at Woodlands Stadium to check out all the action this Friday!


Match Information
Date: Friday, 15th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Woodlands Stadium

Match Report: Woodlands vs Johor FA

The month long mid-season break from the S-League following the RHB Singapore Cup tie against Kanbawza would do a world of good for the Rams as they can afford to have a breather after playing a long string of league fixtures against DPMM, Home United, Tanjong Pagar and most recently, the Burmese champions in the Cup.

Breaks like these are always a good time for the club to do their review and assessment of their tactics and finetune the areas which we're weak in, and to experiment with new tactics in friendly matches to determine their effectiveness.

Johor FA was in Singapore on a week long round of friendlies against two S-League clubs and National Football League Division 1 side Singapore Recreation Club. Fresh from beating SAFFC 2 - 1 on Sunday evening, the Johor Scorpions traveled up north to Woodlands to face the Rams two evenings ago in a match that had live highlights which were updated in our Facebook Page and Twitter account by our writer who was at Woodlands Stadium. 

Fandi is accompanied by his younger son, Ikhsan, in the Johor dugout.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

The Scorpions in their bright red kit.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

The Rams emerged from the tunnel in their green Singapore Cup kits and Salim Moin made little changes to the side which started against Kanbawza. K. Sathiaraj was placed in a defensive midfielder ahead of a back four consisting of Duncan Elias, Daniel Hammond, Fabien Lewis and Danny Chew, while Aloysius Yap and Shamsurin Abdul Rahman were deployed in the middle of the park. Guntur Djafril and Goh Swee Swee maintained their winger roles, supporting a lone Moon Soon-Ho who was playing alone upfront.

Johor fowards Yusri Abas (left) and the highly rated Muriel Orlando (right).
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Johor FA opted to kick off the first half of the game without their Argentinian hitman, Muriel Orlando, as the Scorpions had played a tough match against SAFFC just 2 days earlier. Defender Tharmini Saiban was handed the captain's armband ahead of usual team captain Nazrulerwan Makmor, while first team regulars like hardworking Ashadi Yusoff and tricky Fazly Mazlan were included in the starting eleven.

Johor's skillful winger, Fazly Mazlan (No. 18).
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

As the Rams made their way onto the pitch, Woodlands Coach Salim Moin was seen gamely shaking Johor coach K. Sukumaran's hand, wishing him with a hearty "All the best!". Fandi Ahmad was also seated prominently on Johor's bench, decked out in the blue officials' attire for the Scorpions.

Shamsurin's million dollar smile.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Pre-match pleasantries between the Woodlands and Johor players.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

First Half

Woodlands won the coin toss and were given the opportunity to kick off the match, and the game started off fairly slowly, with both sides sharing even possession. Woodlands and Johor seem to be evenly matched and it seems that both teams would have a hard time trying to search for the first goal. The Woodlands backline played well under pressure and dealt with Johor's aerial balls perfectly.

Fari's commanding presence helped to stabilise the Rams' defence.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Duncan Elias kept a close watch on Hazsyafiq Hamzah,
keeping the Johor midfielder quiet during the entire first half.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Johor FA gave the Rams a scare in the 7th minute when tricky winger Fazly Mazlan blazed past Danny Chew but his low cross was put out by the alert Daniel Hammond before it could cause any real damage. The resultant corner, the first of this match, was easily punched out by reserve goalkeeper Ang Ban Heng, who was named in the starting lineup for the first time this season. 

Ang Ban Heng in goal for the Rams.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

As the match progressed, it was refreshing to see defender K. Sathiaraj playing comfortably in the role of a holding midfielder. The Woodlands number 12 was thrown into the deep end last weekend when he was substituted into the game against Kanbawza into the space in front of the back four and performing beyond expectations.

"Utility Man" Sathi played his heart out even though it was a friendly game.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Guntur Djafril, who sat out in the match against Kanbawza, was also a livewire down the left and constantly threatened the Johor backline with his menancing runs and short one-twos with Aloysius Yap.

"Gun-Thor" generated numerous chances going forward.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

In this evenly matched contest, the brightest spark of the game so far would be the pace and trickery of Fazly Mazlan, as he created a couple of chances for the Scorpions down the left flank. The Malaysian gave Danny Chew a torrid time but Chew recovered well and paired up nicely with the defensive pair of Daniel Hammond and Fabien Lewis, who were were on hand to provide backup and nullify the threat posed by the Johor winger.

Danny gets the better of Johor's Fazly Mazlan in this challenge.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Moon Soon-Ho had a real chance to put the Rams ahead in the 29th minute when he latched on beautifully to a through ball and charged into the Johor penalty box, but the Rams' top scorer's indecisiveness let him down. Moon was in two minds as to whether to shoot or to pass the ball across to the waiting Aloysius Yap and Shamsurin Abdul Rahman, and the Johor defence did not hesitate to clear the ball away from the Korean foward's feet.

Moon would be disappointed not to have scored.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Presented with a second chance in the 31st minute, Moon had no qualms about his move this time round. He coolly rounded a defender after a wonderful layoff from Goh Swee Swee and lets fly with a rasping shot from 20 yards but Johor goalkeeper K. Sasi Kumar, a former Harimau Muda player, did well to parry the shot away.

Woodlands started to utilise their wingers more wisely and Guntur Djafril and Goh Swee Swee were looking lively down the flanks. A foul on Goh led to a free kick from the right, which was swung in by Duncan Elias towards the towering Fabien Lewis at the far post. Lewis was tripped before he could leap for the ball and the referee blew his whistle immediately for a penalty, ignoring the appeals from the crowd of Johor players surrounding him.

Goh Swee Swee stepped up to take the penalty and cooly sends Sasi Kumar the wrong way with a blistering shot which found the top left hand corner of the Johor custodian's goalpost, giving Woodlands the lead in the 35th minute of the match.

Swee Swee and Faizal Mansor fought a tough battle down the Rams' right flank.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Sensing that perhaps a tactical change was required to tilt the balance in their favour, K. Sukumaran made an early change by sending on midfielders Faizal Mansor and Nufitrah Mohd Shah for the Scorpions in the 38th minute.

Shortly before the half-time break, Swee Swee managed to try another shot from distance but he was visibly disappointed when his high shot was flew someway off the right of the goalpost.


Second Half

Johor restarted the second half and whatever coach K. Sukumaran said to the players must have worked as the hungry Scorpions threw their numbers forward in search of an equalizer. Striker Syamim Yahya was unlucky not to have scored as his piledriver from range grazes Ang's crossbar in the 52nd minute. That would have been some goal.

Prime League player Ali Razali played wonderfully and certainly did not look out of place.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Salim Moin soon made massive changes to the side as he threw on no less than 8 players, among them S-League players Farizal Basri, Hussein Akil, Armanizam Dolah and Han Yiguang. Prime League players Zulkarnain Malik (defender), Dinie Fitri (defender) and Ali Razali (midfielder) were also given the proverbial baptism of fire when they were brought on against a tough Johor side.   

Yiguang was handed the captain's armband as Daniel Hammond went off and the Rams' defence now comprised of Zulkarnian, Dinie, Edward Tan and Vincent Lee. For the Scorpions, changes were also made and Muriel Orlando was finally brought onto the pitch to lend some bite to Johor's attack.

Yiguang takes over the captaincy for the second half.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

The fresh legs seemed to help the team gain back some ground as the Johor defence was hit by a series of counterattacks. A cross by Han Yiguang into the box saw Hussein Akil attempt an overhead kick in the 55th minute but the Lebanese-Australian could not connect with the ball properly.

Hussein Akil was deployed as a lone forward and was tightly marked by Johor.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

It was end to end action from this point on as dangerman Muriel Orlando nearly scored for Johor 2 minutes after Akil's attempt but the Argentinian must be wondering how he missed a sitter from 5 yards out when Ang's mistake presented the Scorpions' forward with an open goal. Orlando missed a square ball from Syamim Yahya completely when he really should have stuck out his leg to poke the ball in.
 

Johor custodian, K. Sasi Kumar.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

A minute later, the Rams were attacking the Johor goal once again. Armanizam Dolah tried a cheeky lob on Sasi Kumar from distance but the Johor custodian, who was watching it all the way, caught the ball comfortably and immediately despatched the ball forward.

The ever-present Syamin Yahya showcased his skill once again when he turned past leftback Edward Tan and cut outside Dinie Fitri's tackle before hitting the upright once with a delicate chip over the onrushing Ang Ban Heng. What a goal that would have been but it was not the Johor forward's day.

A crucial tackle also had to be put in by Vincent Lee to dispossess Yusri Abas in the 62nd minute. The Johor forward would have been clear on goal in a one-on-one situation with Ang if Lee had not put in that tackle. Fantastic play by the right back.

Vincent Lee defended well and even had the opportunity to bomb forward down the right flank.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Woodlands' first choice goalkeeper Ahmadulhaq Che Omar came on for Ang Ban Heng in the 63rd minute and he was called into action a few minutes later when he parried two consecutive shots by Orlando to keep the advantage in Woodlands' favour.

Johor wasted another clear chance to equalise in the 71st minute when Muriel Orlando's goal bound header off a corner kick was headed away from danger by his own team-mate, Tharmini Saiban. The defender was trying to get out of the way of Orlando's effort but was unfortunate to have headed the ball unintentionally when it was mere inches away from the goal line.

Armanizam Dolah helping out in defence.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

Ahmadulhaq made another important save in the 75th minute when he rushed off his line to clear a through ball before Orlando could get there - swift and decisive goalkeeping from the Woodlands custodian to maintain the scoreline.

Shortly  after, Vincent Lee made a beautiful run down the flank to swing in a prospective cross. The impressive Ali Razali peeled away from a sleepy Johor defence and almost gave the Rams a two goal cushion but could not connect his header and could only hold his head in his hands as the chance goes wasted.

Ali holds his head in his hands in despair as he spurns a chance to put the Rams two goals up.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

The Scorpions' tenacity were finally rewarded in the 83rd minute when a free kick from the left was volleyed into goal by Ashadi Yusoff to equalise the score. It was indeed great play by the visitors, creating a goal out of seemingly nothing. That goal also seemed to wake Johor up from their slumber as they threw bodies forward looking to overturn the game in their favour. It took some top draw defending from our boys to keep the Scorpions out.

Edward Tan was presented with virtually the last real chance of the game but the left footer placed his free kick high above Sasi Kumar's goal, the Johor keeper heaving a sigh of relief. Soon after, the referee blew for full time, drawing the curtain on a great, lively game between two hungry sides.


Summary

Any doubt about the Rams' ability to play entertaining football would surely be dispelled after this energetic performance against an industrious Johor side. Although the Rams have been playing defensively in the S-League before the cup game against Kanbawza, their matches against Kanbawza and Johor have convinced me that tactical changes are being made in the team and I am confident that the enthralling brand of football I've seen at the Woodlands Stadium on Tuesday would be carried forward to the second half of the S-League season.

Ali Razali (left) and Zulkarnain Malik (right) in action.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

First team debutants Ali Razali, Zulkarnain Malik and Dinie Fitri also impressed with their energy and composure in the second half. The 20 year old Ali put in an inspiring performance and more first team experience would do this young boy a whole lot of good. Zulkarnain and Prime League vice-captain Dinie also defended well against a dogged Johor offense and the exposure would be beneficial to the youngsters. The Junior Rams aren't faring too badly in the Prime League under coach Marko Kraljević's tutelage and we can be assured that they would be ready to step up their game if the need arises.

Players posing for a photo with Fandi.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep)

As for Johor FA, I feel that this is a very good side which plays an attractive style of football, and I hope they can gain promotion to the Malaysian Super League next season to showcase their skills and teamwork in the top flight.

Our next game would take place on 15th June against the Courts Young Lions. We look forward to the rejuvenation of the Rams to arrest the slump in our form so far. Never Surrender!


Final Score:

Woodlands Wellington  1 : 1  Johor FA

Scorers:
Woodlands - Goh Swee Swee  35' (PK)
Johor FA - Ashadi Yusoff  83'

For more photos of the match, please check out Andrew's album here.