A Prestigio-us Victory!

Redbacks: 4
Prestigio: 2

Venue: Bishan Park Sec Sch
Scorers: Mikael, Irwan, Azhar (2)

Redbacks ended their season on a high by beating Prestigio 4-2 at Bishan Park, with Captain Azhar grabbing a second half brace. The Spiders lined up in the now-familiar 5-3-2 formation. Abang Sani marshalled the defense, assisted by Kai and Bob as centre backs, Alfiah as right back and Taufiq as the stand-in left back. Mok, Fai and Jufri played in midfield and our two top scorers, Mikael and Azhar, partnered each other up front.

The game didn’t start too well for the Redbacks. From a free kick, Abang Sani’s clearance header smacked against our crossbar and back into the penalty area. A goalmouth scramble ensued and it ended with a Prestigio player nudging the ball into the goal. 1-0 to Prestigio. Besides that setback, the defense managed to keep Prestigio at bay and Samy was having a particularly solid game as custodian.

Redbacks thought they got the equalizer later in the half. Fai broke free and found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. He lifted the ball over the goalkeeper. The spectators believed that he was finally going to break his duck. Unfortunately, Azhar got involved and nodded the ball into the empty goal, leading the referee to call him up for an offside offence. Frustration for the Spiders, especially Fai.

Our goalkeeper was to play an important role in the equalizer. His long punt found the marauding Mikael. Using his strength and pace, Mik held off a defender and smashed a low shot past the Prestigio goalkeeper to draw the teams level! The striker duly went out after scoring, making way for Irwan to make a much welcomed return to the team. 1-1 was the score at half-time.

A few changes were made during the break. Aidil, Jo and Fareez formed a new look defense line. Raizal came into the midfield trio and Mikael came back in replacing Azhar. Instructions were sent out to pressure the Prestigio defence by employing a direct style of football.

The strategy paid dividends as the relentless pressure unsettled Prestigio. They barely had time on the ball! Irwan and Mikael harrassed every defender and inevitably, gaps began to appear. Mikael and Irwan combined well to carve out a good opportunity to go ahead but Irwan took too much time on the ball, allowing the defense to clear their lines.

That spurned chance turned out to be merely a dress rehearsal. Once again, Mikael threatened on the left flank. His cross found Irwan in a similar position and this time, the finish was perfect! Redbacks take the lead. It was Irwan’s turn to take himself out of the game, resulting in Azhar being re-introduced into the game.

With the second goal urging the team on, Redbacks continued to trouble Prestigio. Prestigio themselves poured forward to get back into the game, thus leaving vast acres of space at the back. Not surprisingly, we scored a third goal. Fai knocked the ball on for Azhar and our captain keeping his cool and finishing clinically.

We were not done yet. Azhar was again the finisher, timing his run well to meet Raizal’s free kick with a superb looping header. With such performances, it is getting increasingly difficult to put him in any other position. The Spiders relaxed a little after the fourth goal, secure in the belief that the victory was in the bag. We were duly reminded by Prestigio that in the D2D League, nobody is allowed to slack. Prestigio got their second goal but it was not enough to take the gloss of another excellent result for the Spiders.

The Redbacks will now take a break for six weeks in light of the impending arrival of Ramadhan and Syawal. Players, use the opportunity to lose weight and keep yourself healthy and fit. Keep yourselved updated via the website as we may have a friendly during one of these coming weeks to keep the team sharp.

Team (5-3-2): Samy, Sani, Kai, Bob, Alfiah, Taufiq, Mok, Fai, Jufri, Azhar, Mikael
Subs: Irwan, Raizal, Fareez, Jo, Aidil

A See-Saw Affair

Redbacks: 3
FZE: 3

Venue: Orchid Park Sec Sch
Scorer: Azhar, Mikael (pk), Alfiah

It was very heartening to see an improved attendance for this week’s game. We lined up for a team photo before kick-off. Expect to see the new team shot on D2D’s website soon! We welcomed 2 new players to the team courtesy of Mok: Jufri and Alfiah. The team opted for experience for its first eleven. Izan was the goalkeeper. Zaini played as sweeper with Bob and Abang Sani as double stoppers. William and Aidil were the right and left backs respectively. Mikael, Jaz and Mok were the midfield trio. Azhar and Fai played up front.

FZE settled quickly into the game and began stringing passes with relative ease. The Spiders struggled to keep up with the flow of the game. It was little surprise that we fell behind early in the game. After breaking clear of the defense, an FZE attacker’s shot was well-parried by Izan. The attacker got a second bite of the cherry and made no mistake this time around. The Redbacks tried to get back into the game but FZE continued to have a stranglehold on the game.

It left us depending on counter attacks to threaten FZE. We had a few free kicks to draw level but efforts from Jaz, Mikael and Azhar all flew over the crossbar of FZE’s goal. Mikael then threatened when he embarked on one of his trademark mazy runs. He found some space in the box but the keeper managed to save The Boomer’s uncharacteristically tame shot. FZE had a few chances but found Izan in his characteristically stingy self. We went into the break one goal behind.

Several changes were made in the second half. Our debutants Jufri and Alfiah came in. Jufri played in the centre of midfield while Alfiah played at left-back. Jo and Kai came in as centre backs, Raizal came in as a left midfielder and Ajis came in a right back. The shuffle saw Mikael restored to the striker’s position with a simple mission: to score goals.

Once again, FZE’s crisp passing and solid movement off the ball provided all sorts of problems for Redbacks. However, we equalized against the run of play. It began in defense with Kai making the initial interception. The ball found its way to Raizal, who then found Jufri. Our debutant then released Mikael with an excellent diagonal ball. Mikael ran clear of the defense and attacked the byline. He then played a low cross to Captain Azhar who tapped it into an empty net. Great counter attacking for the equalizer!

The goal sparked the Spiders into life and Azhar, truly relishing his new role as the team’s striker, made things happen again. Displaying speed, strength and determination belying his advanced years, he embarked on a penetrating run. Just when it seems he was heading nowhere, a defender made a rash challenge and brought him down in the box. Penalty! Mikael stepped up and powered in an unstoppable conversion. Against all odds, the Redbacks were ahead!

Unfortunately, the team went to sleep, allowing FZE to equalize almost immediately. After that, FZE bombarded the Spiders and kept us in our own half for prolonged periods. We conceded corner after corner, free kick after free kick. Finally, we crumbled under the pressure. A corner was poorly defended and the reigning Singapore Idol/Asian Idol Hady Mirza found space to direct a header past Izan. That goal truly knocked the wind out of our sails. 3-2 to FZE.

A comeback seems unlikely as out attempts hit a brick wall. We had to get back into the game. All that was needed was a moment of magic. It came in the form of Alfiah. After gaining possession in our own half, he advanced forward and bamboozled past 3 FZE players. Using his speed, he broke clear of the defence. Despite pressure from the defenders and advancing goalkeeper, he kept his cool and finished clinically to send the Spiders into a mad frenzy. A brilliant solo effort and undoubtedly one of the best goals the Redbacks have ever witnessed!

That goal energized us and soon it was our turn to attack FZE. We managed to create a few half-chances and FZE had some decent opportunities too. However, both teams had to be satisfied with the draw as the referee blew his whistle to bring an end to the game. In the end, it was a fair result.

This result meant the Redbacks are firmly stuck in second-last position and technically, relegated to Division 4 next season. However, in the world of the D2D league, teams come and go and we might find ourselves still in Division 3. Regardless of what happens, we will be staying in the league, seeing how it has helped the team grow over past 2 seaons. Let’s look forward to ending the season on a high before we embark on our post-season break.

FORZA REDBACKS!

Team (5-3-2): Izan, Zaini, Bob, Sani, Aidil, William, Mikael, Jaz, Mok, Azhar, Fai
Subs: Jufri, Alfiah, Ajis, Raizal, Kai, Jo

Finally… Redbacks Make It Count!

Redbacks: 6
Dirty Dozen: 1

Venue: Braddell Westlake Sec Sch (Pitch 2)

Scorers: Azhar (3), Mikael, Jaz, Wan Jr.

A wise man once said, “If you don’t succeed, try and try again until you do.” It has been a long time coming but finally the Spiders taste victory for the first time this season. It was a scorching day and once again, the team had to rely on 11 men to make something happen. But these men were on a mission and they were ready to give their all. It was a little frustrating to wait for our opponents once again. The same thing happened in our earlier encounter. This time around, we were determined not to be defeated again.

The Spiders were handed the initiative at kick-off when Dirty Dozen did not live up to its name, with only 8 players available at kick-off. For the Redbacks, Fai stepped into goal once again. Zaini was the sweeper behind the backline of Bob, Kai, William and Aidil. Mikael was the anchor in midfield, flanked by Wan Jr. and Jaz while Captain Azhar and Taufiq played up front. Before kick-off, Mikael urged his teammates, “This is it guys, make it count!”

It didn’t take long for the Redbacks to score our first goal. Kai delivered a perfect free kick into the penalty box and Azhar rose unchallenged to head the ball past the keeper for the game’s opener. It was a sweet comeback for Kai who suffered an unfortunate injury against the same opponents more than a month ago. However, Dirty Dozen soon showed that they are still a mean unit even with 8 men, scoring the equalizer soon afterwards.

Azhar took matters into his own hands. First he received a low cross by Wan Jr. Wriggling himself free of his marker, he managed to squeeze in a shot, beating the goalkeeper at his near post. Not long after, he picked up a loose ball after Taufiq had headed the ball on. He attempted a similar shot and got a similar result. With the keeper beaten at his near post once again, Captain Azhar notched his first ever hat-trick for the Spiders: a feat achieved by a select few. This is possibly the fastest every hat-trick scored by any Spider and it is appropriate that the Captain earned the honour.

The goal blitz seemed to deflate Dirty Dozen but they managed to keep the Redbacks’ 5-men defense on their toes. At times, they dribbled through the entire backline with relative ease. Thankfully, Fai came to the rescue with some solid saves. His overall performance would make him a standout performer in the game. We had many more chances to score but failed to make the most of them. Jaz had a particulary good chance when he played a one-two with Azhar and was through on goal. His finish was a little off, skimming off the crossbar as it went out of play.

Our sustained pressure paid off when we notched our 4th goal. Mikael received a throw-in and twisted his way past a few defenders and rifled a stiff shot past the goalkeeper. It was just reward for all our attacking enterprise. 4-1 to the Spiders at half-time but in truth, it could have been more.

Dirty Dozen started brightly in the second half, putting the Redbacks on the backfoot. Once again, Fai stood tall against the challenge. His saves include a moment when he dived bravely at the feet of the striker, preventing a certain goal. With his hands, arms, chest and feet, he parried all that came at him. Dirty Dozen should have scored their second but their striker ballooned the ball from about 2 metres out with the empty goal at his mercy.

That stirred the Spiders into action and we scored a fifth goal through a corner. Azhar’s deep delivery found Jaz and our midfielder scored with a stunning shot from a tight angle. From that moment on, we knew that the game was there to be won but we were adamant not to get complacent. We fought for every ball and contested every dodgy decision by the referee. It irked our opponents, leading one of them to say, “You’ve already won the game. Why do you need to argue the decision?” I suppose when you have waited long for a victory, you are unwilling to let anything jeopardize it.

We were not quite done yet. Mikael found Wan Jr with a diagonal ball. Our dimunitive full-back raced towards goal and with nobody pressuring him, decided to take the keeper on. He managed to create enough space for himself to squeeze in the Spiders’ 6th goal. We could have scored a few more but our finishing was not quite up to mark. After creating some good chances, we conspired to shoot straight at the keeper, making him appear to be almost invincible. Azhar should have scored his 4th goal when Mikael found him with a firm cross but our captain’s improvised finishing only resulted in the ball going wide.

After the final whistle was blown, the celebrations were a bit muted due to intense fatigue but once we got our energy back, the smiles and cheers were in full swing. It has been a hard season, but the taste of victory, albeit against 9 men, was still very sweet to the 11 men that turned up today. Could this be the turning point of our season? With 2 more games to secure safety in Division 3, it will be a very interesting run-in.

When asked about the secret of his hat-trick performance, Azhar smiled and said, “It’s all in the boots. Would you like me to brief you about the technology of this boot?” Nobody was interested to listen but Azhar insisted that the boots are worth the investment. In his opinion, everyone should get the adidas Adipure 2 boots.

As a fellow wearer of the boots, I can only fervently agree…

Forza Redbacks!

Spiders Walk Alone

FC Tempastella : 1

Redbacks : 0

On an evening that promised a soccer fiesta,the Spiders once again fell to that now familiar feeling of being in a losing side.Credit however had to be given to the attending players,who were resolved to make their weekends count.

Against a side that was sitting high up on the table,FC Tempastella was indeed a side to be reckoned with.The Spiders’s first enocunter with them had given much knowledge on,how the game ought to be approached.Capt Azhar made astute calls in lining up a formation with the available players.Izan was in goal,as he sought to marshall a backline consisting of Sani,Bob,Aidil and Ajiz.In midfield Azhar and Jo were flanked by Taufiq and Hidayat. Fai and Ajiz’s son led the attack.

The first half was a straight affair of trying to control the game,amidst the bobbles and bounces of the ball on a terrible Anderson pitch.Tempastella in particular,took time to settle into their familiar passing game,as the Spiders chased every bouncing ball with determination.Aidil was magnificent in repelling Tempastella’s attack down his flank,as the defender cleared every single ball that came his way.Tempastella’s relentless attacks were also kept at bay by the excellent defending and goalkeeping of Sani and Izan respectively.

A freekick was soon awarded to Tempastella.Amidst the confusion and noise,Tempastella took a quick one and the ball landed nicely onto the path of their striker who wasted no time in sidefooting the ball to take the lead.

Midway on,Jaz replaced the injured Taufik on the left flank and the winger wasted no time in earning the first corner for the Spiders.Henceforth,the Spiders began to wrest the initiative.A flick on by Ajiz’s son,fell onto the onrushing Azhar who advanced forward,totally clear of the defence.Alas,his delicate chip over the incoming keeper missed the goal by inches,as the crowd bit their shirts in frustration.Another breakaway,saw Jaz carving out a pass for Azhar but the Captain was once again denied.A favour returned a few minutes later saw the referee calling out for the offside agains the sprinting Jaz.1-0 was the halftime score.

The second half resumed,and the Spiders sticked to the same personnel.Sensing that grabbing an equaliser was a possibility,emphasis was placed on attack.A long punt by Izan was intelligently headed onto the path of Azhar who once again,failed to make a convincing contact of a shot,as he was closed down almost immediately.That effort saw him leaving the pitch as his Adidas’s boots were smashed to smithereen.Taufiq came on once again,and played upfront,replacing the departed Captain.The Spiders’s defence were imperious holding off every attack launched by Tempastella.The defence threw in their limbs everywhere,denying Tempastella an inch of a space to make a decent shot.Even when they managed to,they found Izan in inspired form,diving,tipping,clawing and literally saving the Spiders’s the blushes.

After what seemed like eternity,the referee blew his whistle to indicate Tempastella’s victory by a single goal.Definitely not a welcoming result,but the Spiders made sure that the defeat did not go down without a fight.

Special mention ought to be reserved for the attending players,for ensuring that no matter the numbers,the spirit of a fight will not be diminished.It’s such comittment that matters at the end of the day.

ps: Thanks to Azhar for hosting the Liverpool match for the Spiders with the excellent Bandung,Mee Goreng and Murtabak.Was an excellent post match gathering.

pps: The writer will also like to call upon the committment of all Spiders to reply promptly with certainty to attendances in coming games.It highlights the responsibility and value as a player.At the very least respect is served to your committed teammates.For those who had been doing such,the heartiest appreciation goes out to you guys!Forza Redbacks!

 

–

4-4-2: Izan,Sani,Bob,Aidil,Ajiz,Jo,Azhar,Hidayat,Taufik,Ajiz’s Son,Fai

Subs: Jaz,Muhaimin

“Huat” a Comeback!

Huat FC : 2

Redbacks FC : 2

Scorer : Mikael (2 goals)

The overcast sky did not stop the faithful Spiders from attending this week’s league game against Huat FC.The appeal of an artificial turf at Marsiling Secondary  School did not attract enough Spiders as only 11 players made their way onto the field.Captain Azhar opted  for a change in strategy,probably due to the knowledge that Huat was a formidable opponent.A 5-3-2 formation was instilled,with a duo team of stoppers in Abg Sani and William supported  by Zaini as the sweeper.The fullbacks comprised of Ajiz and debutant Taufik.The central midfield line was marshalled by Mokh,Azhar and Jaz supporting the attack point in Mikael and Fai.On paper,this strategy looked sound and solid…

The initial minutes into the game was frantic and full of pace,as both teams seemed at ease carresing the ball along the turf.The Spiders in particular,were menacing in their attacking movements as Mikael strived to beat their scrambling defenders.Positive shouts by the Spiders,led to the players moving and positioning themselves productively across the pitch.Midway through the encounter,Captain was upended badly in the middle of the park by an onrushing midfielder.That proved to be the turning point for the number 7 as,his heavily knocked ankle seemed to slow his movements for the rest of the game.

A few minutes after that incident,Huat FC unexpectedly drew first blood.A crossfield long pass by a defender passed the Spiders midfield line and headed towards the right flank.Everyone waited for Ajiz to attempt to head the ball away,but inexplicably he decided to do a “Barthez” and plead for an offside call.His attempts were in vain as the bouncing ball eluded him and onto the path of Huat’s attacker.”Play on!”signalled the referee,and he wasted no time in toe poking the ball past Izan at his far corner.

Although the Spiders reorganized themselves with better movements,after that silly goal,Huat FC launched another long ball,across the field that missed the desperate header of Aidil and landed onto Huat’s Caucasian winger.The Spiders in unison,called for the offside whilst the striker unleashed a shot past Izan into the goal.Jaz immediately ran to the referee and questioned the dubious goal,but was firmly told with the best of reasonings that the Spiders’s number 22 was clearly playing the attacker in.To the dismay of the Spiders,the man in black was right,as we noted Ajiz jogging back into position.Another “characteristic” conceded goal by the Spiders.

The second half continued on from where the Spiders left off,as strings of passes were intricately weaved into Huat FC’s half.One such movement saw Jaz getting the ball on the right flank,who looked up and lofted a perfectly weighted pass into Huat’s penalty box.The ball seemed to elude everyone but Mikael,who took a touch before volleying it over the onrushing goalkeeper.It was 2-1.The goal seemed to galvanize the Spiders’s spirit as they prepared an onslaught of attacks.One such attack came in the form of a free kick,just off the half way mark.Jaz once again floated a curved ball that missed the heads of Huat FC’s players but fell neatly for Mikael.Unfortunately,the fervent Pool supporter,scooped the ball totally over the bar.

Midway through the second half,a loose clearance from Huat’s attack was picked up by Jaz who advanced forward into Huat’s territory.Mikael made an intelligent run to the left which Jaz spotted and,the right midfielder slid in a through pass.Mikael latched onto the ball,beat two defenders before curling a grounder past the flailing arms of the sliding goalkeeper. 2-2.

Chances came aplenty after that.Fai in particular had a splendid chance,after being slid in with a through pass by Jaz.His foray directly into the penalty box however came to nothing,as his shot was well blocked by the backtracking defenders.Mokh had a snap shot saved and so did a few others well placed shot from the Spiders.Abg Sani who came on for the injured Mikael had a goal winning chance,when Azhar back heeled a pass into the Iron Man’s path.Abg Sani’s burst of pace brough him forward,but that spent energy deflated him off a well placed shot into the arms of the keeper.The Spiders had a few other clear cut chances in the final minutes of the game,but alas,those attempts were not enough to earn the Spiders their first win.

As the final whistle blew,friendly exchanges of handshakes went around as both teams were satisfied with the draw.Both teams knew that the sparring was fun,fair and fulfilling.A sense of mutual respect overwhelmed the pitch,as we wished each other good luck for the future matches.

Credit where it’s due,was given to the defensive unit for their stoic second half display.On a day where it was easier to cave in and surrender a few more goals,Redbacks decided to seize the initiative and tried to salvage an extraordinary comeback.Captain Azhar was particularly delighted with the sense of never giving in from the players of Redbacks.It was yet another zealous display of determination that brought about such a comeback.If such a team value can be instilled and build upon,it bodes well.

Forza Redbacks.

Team 5-3-2 : Izan,Zaini,Taufik,Ajiz,William,Sani,Azhar,Jaz,Mokh,Fai,Mikael

Second half : Aidil,Desmond

–

Ooglee Boys : 4

Redbacks FC : 2

Scorer : Mikael (2 goals)

In another match last week,Redbacks FC lost to Ooglee boys in their Cup run with a score of 4-2.Both Redbacks goals were scored by Mikael.Redbacks FC is now out of the Cup.

Team 4-5-1 : Fai,Rosli,Bob,Aidil,William,Azhar,Jaz,Boy,Hilmi,Mokh,Mikael

Second Half : Imran,Irwando

–

Set Piece Folly!

Redbacks: 1
FC Simpang: 2

Venue: Yio Chu Kang Sec
Scorer: Boy

This was a game that had revenge written all over. The Spiders were meeting their league debut opponents, FC Simpang. The latter had triumphed convincingly over the Spiders in their early encounter, winning with 5 goals to 3. Was this going to be a repeat in outcome?

Redbacks had the good fortune of having 15 attending players, amidst the “stock market” confirmation of player’s availability. Bob brought along his nephew, Boy, who will later turn out to be an unearthed gem. Oggy, came back between the sticks after two months hiatus. The Spiders started with their familiar 4-5-1 formation, with Boy lining up as the sole striker in the absence of regular goal getter Mikael.

The game started brightly, with the Spiders breaking the rhythmic play of their opponents time and time again.The Spiders midfield were losing ground on the excellent passing play that FC Simpang dished out with ease. Jaz in particular was struggling to gain an edge as he was closed down instantaneously by Simpang’s centre duo. The only bright spark in the engine room was the industrious play of Wan Jr and Yusman who diligently counter attacked with gusto down the right flank. The game continued with the teams threading passes after passes but to no positive avail.

All that changed however, when the Spider’s inability to clear their lines on the left side of the field , resulted in a nicely weighted cross into the path of an FC Simpang player. Without a moment of hesitation, he side footed the ball past Oggy’s flailing dive. 1-0.

Redbacks regrouped and attacks were launched. One such move led to the marauding Wan Jr,supplying a cross,after a neat one two with Jaz ,into the box.Boy hooked a volley that cannoned off the crossbar. A chorus of disappointment engulfed the Spiders as they trudged into halftime with a deficit.

Capt Azhar made strategic substitutions to add flavour into the game.Installing himself in the center role,much was expected from the man who was carrying a knock. The Spiders managed to dictate the opening minutes of thesecond half with some splendid interpassing,movements and tactical positioning.Jo and Willian in particular stuck their grounds in repelling FC Simpang’s advances.

Then came the moment of magic from Boy,as he raced onto a weighted clearance from William. The last defender who hesitated to clear his line was left chasing the shadow of the debutant. Boy delicately placed a ferocious instep volley that lobbed into the goal,as the advancing keeper watched. 1-1.

A few minutes after the euphoria, Bob conceded a free kick just meters away from the centre half. FC Simpang floated the ball and it was knocked onto the path of a gleeful looking striker, who side footed the ball gently into the net. Once again, the Spiders inability to defend at set pieces will prove to be their bane. 2-1.
The rolling subs were maximised on the Spiders end, as they tried to salvage a result. One such moment came in the form of a free kick that was magnificently driven onto the crossbar, by Azhar. Alas,at the end of it all,the heart and spirited display put forth by the Spiders were not enough to wrest away the result. 2-1 in favour of FC Simpang was the final score. Another effort,another loss and definitely another learning point for the Spiders to put a spin on.

Team(4-5-1): Oggy, Sani, Zaini, Aidil, Ajis, Wan Jr, Yusman, Fai, Mokh, Jaz, Boy
Subs:  Bob, William, Jo, Azhar

Match Report by Jaz

Lost So What!

REDBACKS : 1

SIMPANG FC : 2

Venue: Yio Chu Kang Sec Sch
Scorer : Boi

Battled hard and lost but the won the respect of the opponent. Salute to all who played against the league leaders, full of guts.  Quote from Simpang FC’s Manager ‘Is this the same Redbacks FC we played in the first leg?! Baik ah Redbacks’ unquote.

Special mentioned to Sani, sudden burst of speed that never seen before, down hard twice still going strong.

Attendance: Oggy, Zaini, Aziz, Aidil, Sani, Ridwan, Yusman, Jaz, Fairoz, Mok, Boi, Azhar, Hisham, William, Joe, Bob

Forza Redbacks!

REDBACKS : 1
FORZA FC : 1

Venue: MacPherson Sec Sch
Scorer : Mikael

Redbacks defined the word Forza (strength) in today’s highly charged game. Coming back off a win in their Cup tie last week,the Spiders were looking at continuing that form. The challenge that came in for them was Forza FC,who was sitting pretty at second place in the table prior to this match.

Redbacks started with their now familiar 4-5-1 formation.The first 10 minutes into the game was a sight to behold,as Redbacks paid no heed to their opponent’s reputation and stroked the ball with conviction.Passes after passes were strung by the tightly knitted midfielders.Even the defenders got into the act as play was built from the back.Forza FC,who had their attack spearheaded by Hady Mirza of Singapore Idol fame,were left to build their attack on the fringes of loose balls and misplaced passes.It was a cagey affair for both teams as,they tried to grab a dominant stronghold on the midfield.Impressively however,the Spiders Midfield  quintuplet was able to choke time and time again, Forza FC’s advances.But such excellent disciplined play came at a premium price,as our players were knocked heavily all over the ground.Capt Azhar in particular received special attention as he had to grapple with the tumbles,fumbles and crumbles of opposing players.But still,the Spiders held on to make the first half a goalless affair.

Second half ensued with the typical changes in personnel as Jaz,Jo,Ajiz,Bob,William and Yusman made their way into their respective roles.Sensing that a game was on hand,both teams were keen on trying to establish an early lead.That lead came in the form of a Spiders goal.A long punt from Sharizan fell onto the feet of Forza’s left defender who attempted to play his way out.His feeble pass was firmly blocked by the advancing feet of Jaz,and the ricocheted ball bounced to Ajis.The central midfielder for the evening advanced with the ball as Jaz made a blind run down the right.Unexpectedly,Ajis decided to make a pass,and his lay off into the D area,was missed by Jo but picked up expertly by Mikael.With a shimmy and a shuffle,Mikael advanced himself just off the penalty area,beating 3 Forza players and unleashed a snap shot!The bouncing ball escaped the grasp of the keeper and it was Redbacks taking the initiative.1-0!

Play restarted and as usual,both sets of midfield squared off evenly like a fencing match.Redback’s defence line that was admirably led by Zaini did well to repel wave after wave of attacks.10 minutes later,Forza earned a corner kick.As each player lined themselves defending,little did they know what was to come.A poorly delivered corner by Forza landed awkwardly onto their player,who acrobatically kicked it back into the box.The Spiders hastily cleared their lines,only to have the ball fall,bouncing sweetly outside the D area.Forza’s dimunitive midfield lynchpin,wasted no time in unleashing a firmly placed volley that seemed to elude everyone but the goal.1-1 was the result.

After that goal,Redbacks went on the juggernaut as they attempted to wrest the game away for their maiden victory.Alas it was not meant to be,as a mixture of bad calls from the man in black and the misfiring strikes of the attacking line,meant that the Spiders had to settle for their third draw in as many matches.

But there was no questioning that this game illustrated yet another highlight of the Spider’s improving style of play.Disciplined positioning,positive call outs and spirited heart meant that the Spiders will take each game to the edge of the final whistle.So in the end,it was deserving for the players and supporters alike to exclaim out aloud:

FORZA REDBACKS!

Team (4-5-1) : Izan, Zaini, Sani, Wan Jr, Aidil, Irwando, Faizal, Azhar, Fai, Mok, Mikael
Subs: Jaz, Jo, William, Yusman, Ajiz, Bob

Match Report by Jaz

Redbacks Advance!

Redbacks: 2
New Eastroids: 2

Redbacks win 2-1 on penalties

Venue: Yio Chu Kang Sec Sch
Scorers: Hilmi, Joe

The Spiders put aside the poor results plaguing their league to knock New Eastroids (NE) out of the League Cup. The players were fired up to turn their season around. With this positive result, could this be the turning point of our season? The odds were clearly stacked against us. With only 12 players turning up, it was the lowest attendance we have experienced so far this season. Thankfully, Izan was able to make the game, enabling us to have our best custodian for this crunch match.

The game was tight until the team experienced what can be described as another Aziz moment. Having messed up his initial clearance, he tried to make amends the second time but only succeeded in laying the ball off for a NE striker to beat Izan at his near post. The defence regrouped and kept the NE attackers at bay, with Juraimi having a standout performance in the stopper’s position.

In the second half, the Redbacks searched for the equalizer. A free kick was punted into the NE penalty area. The initial clearance was poor and amidst the chaos, Hilmi rose the highest to calmly nod the ball into the goal. Opposing teams are beginning to find the Spiders hard to beat and we have definitely built a reputation as a team never to give up until the final whistle.

Our resolve was tested when NE edged ahead. From a corner, an NE player rose to head the ball. The ball then deflected off Zaini’s shoulder and totally wrong-footed Izan. 2-1 to New Eastroids. Were we going to suffer yet another heartbreaking one goal defeat?

But the Spiders pressed on and were duly rewarded. Azhar got the ball on the right flank and crossed to the far post. Mikael was there to head the ball across the goal and Joe appeared to apply the finishing touch. NE players protested, insinuating that Joe was offside but the referee was not having any of it. With both teams unable to find the winner, the game went to sudden death penalty kicks.

Mikael stepped up first and smashed his penalty home. Izan went the right way but was unable to stop NE’s first kick. Hilmi calmly put his penalty away. For NE’s second kick, Izan went the right way again but this time, he managed to save the spot kick, giving the Redbacks a memorable win.

Team (4-5-1): Izan, Zaini, Juraimi, Aziz, Aidil, Azhar, Raizal, Fai, Hilmi, Jaz, Mikael
Sub: Joe

Got to Stop the Rot!

Redbacks: 3
Dirty Dozen: 5

Venue: MacPherson Sec Sch
Scorers: Nordin, Azhar, Jaz

With this defeat, the Spiders are entrenched at the foot of the table, the only team yet to taste victory this season. The defense is clearly struggling and the Redbacks are quickly learning that our opponents’ superlative finishing means that mistakes will be punished. Whenever Dirty Dozen created chances, they always looked like scoring and in this game, they found the back of the net 5 times.

Between the goals conceded, the Spiders tried to make it a contest, eager to stop our recent losing streak. Nordin equalized after Dirty Dozen scored the opener. He hit another masterful free kick into the bottom corner of the goal. Dirty Dozen scored immediately afterwards with Aki beaten at his near post. Azhar then stepped up and restored parity, taking advantage of some hesitant defending and literally forcing the ball into the goal.

Dirty Dozen nudged ahead just before half time. A cross from the left side was met with a karate-like kid, leaving Aki rooted to the spot. Harsh considering that we created a lot of chances in the first half. However, chances do not count for much if you do not take them. One goal behind, the team was very much in it and we were confident that we could get back into the game.

In the second half, the game was a more cagey affair. Neither team was willing to give anything away. Then, the Spiders drew level! A swift counter attack saw Mok receiving the ball on the left flank. Always capable of delivering superb crosses, our winger did his trick and Jaz was there to slot the ball into goal. It was just reward for the effort the team put in. Could we hold out?

Unfortunately, that goal just spurred Dirty Dozen to go for the win. They scored from another corner. It was amazing how the player could jump so high and direct his header downwards with enough power and accuracy to beat Aki and Bob at the same time. Not content on sitting back and letting the Spiders back into the game, they scored another goal for good measure.

Team (4-4-2): Aki, Kai, Sani, Bob, Aidil, Nordin, Azhar, Mok, Fai, Mikael, Irwan
Subs: William, Jaz, Raizal, Hidayat