Report on Kluang Trip

Thomas Veterans: 2
Redbacks: 3

Venue: Kluang Stadium, Johore, Malaysia
Scorers: Ayyub (2), Ming

We gathered at Woodlands MRT station to set off on our journey. A blow was dealt when our goalkeeper, Sharizan was unable to make the trip due to an administrative error that is becoming customary for the odd Redback. Thanks to Mas Selamat, travelling via Woodlands Checkpoint was out of the question. We set off to Tuas instead and within an hour, we were in Malaysia. Torrential downpours greeted us along the way as we drove on the expressway.

Had lunch at Machap where everyone had a chance to sit back, relax and have a great chat with one another. This is another reason why we make it a point to have such overseas trips. It helps to build team cohesion and promote camaraderie. At about 5pm, we made our way to Kluang town. At town, we made a stop at a local sporting goods store to purchase a souvenir for our hosts. The players showed great enthusiasm in signing the ball, pretending that we were famous footballers going on a tour. Anyone ever thought that our names would be kicked about?

There was one last stop before we went to the stadium, a local chendol store which served EXCELLENT chendol. One of the best I have ever had in my opinion. A secret recipe passed down from generation to generation according to Bai, our tour guide for the day. It was truly refreshing and despite worrying that it might affect our play, we were in high spirits.

Every player was looking forward to the prospect of playing our very first night game in our short but illustrious history. The last time we were at the stadium, we were blitzed by our opponents. We were eager to make amends for the loss, even though we were up against different opponents.

Game Report
The first half was a cagey affair. Our hosts got into the rhythm first, stringing passes around with ease and confidence. Once our midfield got settled, we began winning more balls and launching attacks. Our opponents may be a little older than most of our players, but they certainly showed that they were up for it. Thomas Veterans’ attacks were more dangerous. However, poor finishing prevented them from taking a lead.

The Spiders scored against the run of play. Ming hit a cross into the box, a defender half-cleared it and the ball fell to Ayyub. With no other option, he hit a shot that found the corner of the net. It came from a fortunate deflection, but the Redbacks were not complaining. It helped settle some nerves. Our hosts were not going to take it lying down. They kept up the pressure and were soon rewarded. A swift counter attack resulted in their striker having all the time in the world to bring a cross under control and smashed it into the net. No chance Fauzi.

The game sparked into life in the second half. With the injection of more attacking-minded players, our attacks became more threatening. We reclaimed the lead through Ayyub once again. Having endlessly tried his luck in free kicks in previous games, he finally hit the jackpot, hitting a near-perfect free kick that left the goalkeeper rooted to the spot. We doubled our advantage not too long afterwards. Nordin released Ming on the left wing and the diminutive winger scored to give the Spiders some breathing space. That goal would prove to be the winner.

We were unlucky not to add to the score. Wan had the ball in the net twice but was adjudged to have been in an offside position on both occasions. Fauzi kept our lead safe too as he claimed every cross and parried shot after shot. His best save had to be one off a corner. The header had “GOAL” screaming all over it before Fauzi flung himself and palmed it away. However, there is no way to explain how he allowed a shot to squirm under his body, giving Thomas Veterans a lifeline. After the second goal, our team tightened teams out and were happy to push the ball around and let time run out. That was how things ended.

To celebrate the victory, we indulged ourselves with dinner and more merry-making. Accompanied by the Man City-Chelsea game in the background, laughter and happiness were in abundance. Another memorable trip as always. Next up, another K.L. trip in June during the Euro 2008 period? Keep the month free as this will be another event not to be missed.