IB League

IB League Resumption

2006-05-25T20:05:00.000+08:00

IB League will resume on Friday, the 26th of May, the last school day of the term.

After almost a month long hiatus, the familiar faces of kohtiangpeng, JJ, timseow and currently incapcitated Jarvin Lim will be back where they belong - at the ACSi basketball(IB League) court - together with YOU.

These are the following fixtures that are due to be played with kickoff at 1.15pm SHARP.

Vamosh Vs Tongkat FC
Playboys Vs Jordan River FC
Nehmine Vs Bayern Manjan
Tongkat FC Vs Playboys

Any team that is not able to field a team of five will have to concede a walkover and immeadiately had the opposing three points for free. However, if teams inform us beforehand, possible adjustments can be looked in to.

Week 9 Fixtures

2006-05-14T21:54:00.000+08:00

Here are this week's fixtures which will be played on Friday after school:

Vamosh Vs Tongkat FC
Playboys Vs Jordan River FC
Nehmine Vs Bayern Manjan
Tongkat FC Vs Playboys

Many intriguing matches indeed in the penultimate week of the season, with champions Vamosh being put to the test by a resurgent Tongkat FC who are finishing the season on a roll.

This week’s fixtures also include the bottom of the table clash between Nehmine FC and Bayern Manjan, both teams playing for pride and pride alone (their dignity was lost a long time ago).

Lastly, the question on everyone’s lips before Playboys’ match with Jordan River is whether or not Playboys can actually put together a team for once. Will the formidable IB League Organizers team play in their place again? Only time will tell.

Vamosh Champions!

2006-05-07T02:18:00.000+08:00

Vamosh are officially the IB league champions, with an unassailable 10 point lead with two games remaining!

The IB League committee would like to congratulate the team members Stanley Ong, Richard Foong, Marcus Lim DS, Marcus Low, Jin Yan, Nigel Sia, Justin Chia and Kenneth Lui. We are planning the victory parade through the IB building as we speak.

Playboys lose to Tongkat's moment of brilliance

2006-05-04T21:30:00.000+08:00

(the reporter apologises for this delayed match report. he blames the china air for corrupting his respiratory system and is now submitting this report with an oxygen mask on. )

As unsatisfactory wind conditions delayed the kick off of the match, crowds were left to huddle quietly as they await the advent of the event. Actually it was more of Playboys deciding whether to risk their captain, Joel Kuan, onto the pitch.

Tongkat were almost at fullstrength, only missing suspended rugby players who were watching on the sidelines. Both teams were eager to get the match going and a flurry of passes between their respective side quickly resulted in a corner for Playboys. Tongkat's keeper, Shreya, lay claims to the incoming throw but confusion relegated the situation to absolute chaos, as each player desperately threw in a leg, a boot, yellow IB tie and all in their bid to get the ball where they wanted.

Finally the ball seem goal destined after Nigel Koh had the last toe ( last say ) but Line Dancer Ashok had other views on that matter as he stood his ground on the line, clearing twice to save the blushes for Tongkat. His table soccer tactic infuriated Playboys but watching referee could only shrug his shoulders at the perfectly legitimate if frustrating piece of defending.

Out to prove themselves after previously winning by narrow margins, Tongkat were keen to capitalise on their seemingly good luck by moving down the wings in their bid to stretch the sole defender, Jonathan Lew. In a league where hardwork seems more likely to be rewarded by a corner rather than a goal, stand-in captain Tang Kah Chee was quick to spot lurking Roy Chou with his throw and Roy duly headed the ball in emphatically which proves that he was really trying to head the ball, unlike other goals previously seen.

In the familiar situation of being a goal down undeservedly, Playboys regrouped and came out strongly in the second half, scoring an equaliser that was entirely credited to the determination of Joel Kuan who somehow saw the goal beyond the crowded body mass of the Tongkat defenders to squeeze a shot past equally visually impaired Shreya.

However all hope was to be dashed by Tongkat's moment of brilliance that could well be what we call, Goal of the Season.

It all started with one-trick pony Ashok holding onto the ball in central defence. He saw the incoming challenge of Nigel Koh and deftly rolled the ball to the right, whether out of habit or not we would not know as he subsequently fooled Nigel. Ashok roamed a couple of steps before he spotted Roy Chou at the far right corner who was pretending to tie his shoelaces but in actual fact camping nicely. The ball floated perfectly and was received in perfect control by Roy, who looked as if he held onto the ball abit too long as Royce, the Playboys' keeper, came rushing out of goal to block off Roy's angle but did not take into consideration the enthusiasm of Ashok's follow-up run into the danger area. Roy Chou sensing a goal rush, flicked the ball back into Ashok's path with his heel and his cheekiness was rewarded with a thumping finish by Ashok. (it must be reported that several onlookers betted immediately on the spot that Ashok would miss)

Everybody could only watch and applaud the move very much appreciatingly and ticket sales for the next IB League match went up correspondingly.

Do stay tune for more great football.

Final Score - Tongkat 2 : 1 Playboys

Week 8 Fixtures

2006-05-04T19:14:00.000+08:00

Here are this week's fixtures which will be played on Friday after school:

Tongkat FC Vs Jordan River FC
Nehmine FC Vs Playboys
Bayern Manjan Vs Vamosh
Tongkat FC Vs Playboys

As of last week, all teams have played 7 matches except for Tongkat and Playboys.

Yes the table is wrong, but Vamosh is indeed leading Jordan River FC by 7 points. They have 22 compared to River's 15. Tongkat FC has 10, the Playboys have 7, Bayern Manjan has 3 and Nehmine FC has 1 point.

The table will be corrected and updated soon.

Vamosh Overcome Jarvinophobia in Relentless Title Push

2006-04-17T22:47:00.000+08:00

It appears that even the Gods are unable to stop the Vamosh train relentless steaming on to the first ever IB League Championship, the most prestigious in the land.

After watching Vamos go on a scintillating six match winning streak, the footballing Gods in Heaven had had enough. Our very own Jarvin Lim was told in to uncertain terms that he was to don his old football jersey and put on those seasoned boots and put an end to Vamos’ downright disgusting (in the words of the very revered George Best) run of form.

Jarvin was instructed by the combined talents of Duncan Edwards, Eusebio and Sir Matt Busby to get on to the pitch and work his magic. Unable to even talk about themselves in the same breath, Richard Foong and co. had no choice but to take up the challenge.

The match began with much tension in the air as an extremely nervous Marcus Lim, showing just why he’s called DS, panicked every time Jarvin touched the ball, not only rendering himself useless but causing his team mates’ heart rates to rise as well.

As a result, Vamosh, for the first time this season, actually looked vulnerable. Not only did they not take a single shot at goal in the first half, but were even dominated by Nehmine in terms of possession. A remarkable reversal of roles only that man Jarvin could have engineered.

Jarvin however, was also unable to do much. On every occasion he received the ball, there were immediately at least two uncompromising Vamosh players hounding his every touch, mostly in the form of the assured Richard and the steely form of Justin the Destroyer.

The second half however, proved to be much more exciting. Finally overcoming Jarvinophobia , Vamosh started to put Jason Goh and Nat under some pressure. Credit must be given to the Nehmine defence however, who bravely fought off some of Vamosh’s best efforts.

Unfortunately, they were dealt a cruel blow when a long ball from the Vamosh keeper was allowed to bounce in the Nehmine penalty area. Marcus Lim, up to one of his tricks again, appeared to obstruct Jamal’s view, leaving him helpless as the ball deflected off his leg and into the goal.

Jarvin however, now with more space to work with, began to show just why Bestie picked him for this match. Bringing the ball up his favoured right wing, Jarvin sidestepped one defender, held the ball up, feinted right, left, then right again, and with a super spinning move turned the second defender. With another one closing down, he executed his trademark triple knee shift, giving him just the space he needed to unleash a thunderous strike into the top corner that Jinyan somehow parried. A few seconds later, he repeated the trick, but yet again Jinyan was there to deny him his goal.

Nehmine in truth could have been level, if not for some disgustingly shameful finishing by the woeful Anjan Biswas. Presented with two glorious one-on one opportunities with Jinyan after great work by Jarvin, the Bengalese contrived to misue his kick. BOTH times.

They were duly punished when Marcus Loh wrapped up the game with a neatly taken goal, beating Jamal with a cool shot into the bottom corner. So for the SEVENTH time, Vamosh took home three points leaving them in seventh heaven, where captain Stanley Ong was last seen in a heated debate with Eric Cantona’s dad on how a fish trawler and Vamosh don’t mix.

FINAL SCORE: Vamosh 2-0 Nehmine (and Jarvin Lim)

Victory for Vamosh (What's New?)

2006-04-16T22:51:00.000+08:00

Vamosh entered their match against an injury plagued Playboys team on the back of 5 consecutive IB league wins, the longest winning streak in the league's prestigious history. Such has been Vamosh's dominance in the league that only officiating as bad as that seen during a certain rugby final could stop them from continuing their winning streak. Additionally, Playboys were without captain Joel Kuan who had missed PE on the morning of the game and was obliged not to take part in any physical activity.

Vamosh started with their all-star first X of Jin Yan, Marcus Low, Marcus Lim DS, Richard Foong and Stanley Ong, leaving season long benchwarmer Nigel Sia disappointed once again. It appears that Stanley was unhappy with Nigel's constant absence from training due to his acting commitments, leaving the Captain no choice but to bench to Centrestage Star once again. "I'm even more sian than damn sian man" were all the words he could muster.

From the first whistle it was clear that Vamosh were the more dominant side, the elite 5 playing with their usual cohesiveness and confidence. It wasn't long before they won themselves the first penalty in IB-league history, Playboys' Jonathan Lui handling the ball on the edge of the penalty area. Stanley stepped up and slotted home the opener. 1 - 0 Vamosh.

Playboys' never really created much in the first half, lone-striker Nigel Koh having a few pot-shots that never really troubled Jin Yan in goal. From one goal kick taken by Marcus Low, DS scored yet another of his trademark back-to-the-goal headers, flicking the ball goal wards into the arms of a surprised Royce Ong who fumbled it into the net. 2 - 0 Vamosh.

Playboys looked as if they had just emerged from a 100 minute PA period. Nothing was going right, motivation was low and the end just would not come any faster. Joel Kuan had enough.

Risking being caught by PE teachers, Kuan forced Jonathan Lew off the field and took his place on the court in plain sight and in his school uniform. Kuan's appearance seemed to settle Playboys down a little and Vamosh's goal rush stopped. However, Vamosh were still confident of victory and subbed off Stanley and Richard at half time for Nigel and Justin Chia.

This tactical switch was perhaps an oversight on behalf of the Vamosh management as without their captain and chief swearer, Vamosh lost a bit of it's fire. Nigel wasn't even sure of where he was supposed to play, prompting an exasperated Stanley to shout "LELE! PLAY CENTRE-FORWARD, STRIKER!". Playboys duly capitalized in this lapse in momentum, Nigel Koh pulling a goal back from his team. Suddenly Playboys were only a goal behind and within striking range. With the crowd sensing an turnaround on the cards, Vamosh merely subbed Richard and Stanley back in and order was indeed restored. In the end, Vamosh made winning look easy once again

Final Score: Vamosh 2 - 1 Playboys

Nehmine Breaks Duck

2006-04-13T12:40:00.000+08:00

Last week's match between Nehmine FC and Bayern Manjan was a truly historic moment in IB League football; For once, Nehmine did not concede a single goal.

With 16 goals conceded in 5 games, Nehmine had to resort to drastic measures and they duly dropped captain Dhanesh Chainani who was nowhere in sight (a miracle in itself). To shore up their defence Nehmine employed a tactically sound 1-3-1 formation, with new signings Theodore Goh and Nathanael Ong at the heart of the backline. Additionally, keeper Jamal Siddique sacrificed a bit of his weekly trip to the Mosque to play the match (loyalty indeed).

Nehmine were up against a slumping Bayern Manjan team who still hadn't won their first match in the league. Bayern were missing "El Rifle" Mark Chiang who had disappeared mysteriously and without their notorious gun slinger, Bayern were left firing blanks. Debutant Ben Chia didn't seem to be on the pace of the match, probably because his strike partner Eng Song Yun was more interested in playing (his style of) Joga Bonito than passing. Song Yun, who was involved in an illegal transfer window tapping up scandal involving Tongkat FC, constantly tried dribbling his way out of defence to the annoyance of his teammates. The one time Bayern put together a phase of play involving more than two passes, captain Kenneth Lim found himself one-on-one with Jamal. However, choosing power over placement, Kenneth thumped the ball agonizingly over the crossbar.

Jamal was trying his best to keep Nehmine in the game, once again producing save after save and using his patented time wasting tactics to give Nehmine whatever advantage he could. His warcries of "Aji Bhangda Pona" inspired his teammates to greater heights and for a brief period of time Nehmine actually looked the better team. Lone striker Bharat and later Anjan Biswas were trying their best to trouble Milton Koh in the Bayern goal but their efforts, like they have been the entire season, were as good as Wannabe Terrorist. It was substitute Daryl Tay who had Nehmine's best chance, taking advantage of one of Song Yun's crazy exploits to unleash a fizzing drive that floated just inches wide of Milton's post.

In the end, no side was able to break the deadlock and Nehmine deservedly was able to chalk up their first point of the season.

Final Score: Bayern Manjan 0 - 0 Nehmine FC

Luckless Nehmine Eaten at the Death

2006-04-07T20:56:00.000+08:00

Ethan’s solitary strike with Virtually the last kick of the game Virtually caused Nehmine to lose by a single goal, Virtually condemning them to last place in the IB League, which they have Virtually made their own this inaugural IB League season.

The match kicked off with a seemingly complacent Jordan River team fielding a largely second string side consisting of Neither Reuben but Nor Aizat in goal among other reserve team players. Hardcore JRFC fan Ken Tay however, still expected them to win easily considering the fact that Jordan River ran away with the IB Reserves League last season and that Nehmine have yet to officially score a goal.

However, Nehmine started off brightly and seemed anything but the bottom placed team in the league. Daryl Tay and Jason Goh were clicking well in midfield carving out numerous half Chances that were spurned by their beleaguered striker, Bharat, who has yet to come to terms with his goal being disallowed.

Jordan River however, with red-hot striker Greg Ho was a constant threat and the match was evenly contested for most of the half. The second half began much the same as the first, with the ball being traded in midfield, with neither side able to gain the upper hand. Chances were at a premium although Aizat was tested with several goalmouth Scrambles with which he dealt with effectively.

With minutes to go however, Jordan River sent on their trump card. Recognizing Luis Garcia’s recent stunning form, Jordan River sent on Mr Garcia’s alter-ego, none other than Ethan, ‘have you eaten?’ Koh. True enough, in their last attack, Nehmine were Dispossessed at the far right wall. Sensing that his Time must have Arrived, Elementarily Elongated Ethan stole the ball and headed towards the Nehmine goal.

Cutting in from that right wing, he skillfully pushed the ball past one defender, and while calmly sidestepping another, dropped a shoulder and evaded a third. With the ball at his feet and the goal at his mercy, ethan was left with one option: Score. And that he did, with a beautiful curler that agonizingly crept past the keeper’s outstretched arms.

So Jordan River escaped with an underserved victory, but no one, Especially Ethan, could care less. Except for poor old Nehmine, that is. Spare a thought for them, my Amigos. As for Ethan, Luis Garcia would have been proud.

Opening of Transfer Window

2006-03-28T20:35:00.000+08:00

Team captains are hereby officially notified that transfer window will be open for the next two and a half weeks.

Team captains are to note the following:
1) Total number of players registered for the team must not exceed 10.
2) New players registered must not already be part of another team.
3) In the event that Rule 2 is broken, team captains and the IB League Committee reserve the right to veto the player's transfer.
4) This Transfer Window also means that teams now have less excuse not to field a full strength team on match day.

Transfer window will close on Thursday, 13th April 2006.

Match Schedule: Round Six

2006-03-28T18:31:00.000+08:00

The following matches will take place on Thursday, the 30th of March. Kickoff is subject to change but the first match is slated to begin at 1600hrs.

These are the matches due to be played, according to kick-off time:

Nehmine vs Bayern Munjan

Playboys vs Tongkat

Jordan River vs Nehmine

Vamos vs Playboys

Teams are all requested to reach the IB League grounds at 1550hrs.
Any requests for a change in match-time or a postponment will be entertained but must be placed latest by 2000hrs Wednesday, 29th March. You can post a comment here to do so.

**These fixtures are tentative and are NOT confirmed. For full confirmation of match time and any other unecessary rubbish, please contact your friendly neighbourhood commitee members in person.

Tongkat's grit snatches a draw in Grudge Match

2006-03-26T19:41:00.000+08:00

Tongkatian Zul's freak injury proved to be only the tip of the iceberg as more sensation followed in the transfer market. Player-manager, Shannon Tan, was served a 3 match ban and had to scramble for reinforcements and his treasure hunting campaign unearthed two exciting signings in Roy Chou and Fahrul. This was in addition to the already known collapsed transfer involving a rival league and Ashok Palaniappan.

However as the match began, sensation proved to be the last thing on the players' mind as the game started with as much anticipation as a math teacher asking for homework. Observers were quick to attribute it to the overcast shadow of the shocking result of the previous game. Yet the same people were aware of the fact that this was indeed a grudge match, a follow up from the previous narrow encounter.

This lack of urgency in this game was underlined by Mark Chiang of Bayern Munjan skying the first shot into the fifth tier of the stadium and 'El Rifle' claimed he ' see wrong ', ignoring grammar, in defense to disappointing the crowd. After which, spectators were forced to focus on Roy's scalp as Tongkat employed the longball tactic to no avail. At the stroke of 5 minutes, Mark Chiang no longer saw wrong as he took advantage of a clearly non existent Tongkat midfield to rocket a volley into the opposition net. The beauty of the technique and the power of his shot was such that emergency fishermen on standby had to rush on field to repair the obviously shredded net.

Clamours rang all round for an instant replay, however the IB League regrets the unavailability to meet such a request owing to the ongoing contract talks between corporate sponsors. Mark Chiang celebrated his goal with giving the crowd the finger - the index finger to his lips to hush his critics and continued to finish the match on a high, playing well on the whole.

Before Tongkat could reply properly, Eng Song Yun, having renewed his license to solo upfront, proved to be a nuisance in the game, his wonderful quick feet dribbling the ball, frustrating Tongkatian defenders and his own team as well. 'PASS THE BALL LAH!' became a plea but Song justified his license by slotting the ball inbetween the legs of Shreya, the unfortunate Tongkat Goalkeeper who otherwise had a good game, to cap off a good run deep into the last third of the field.

By the time half time came, Tongkat looked to be handing Bayern Munjan their first win but resident sumo, Tang Kah Chee was having none of that. Commanding in defense, Kah Chee was obviously unhappy with the fact that his side let in two goals due to no fault of his and tried to lead the counter-attacks after smothering other Bayern Munjan attempts at his goal.

Yet the game had obviously settled down into a slow rhythm but the players seemed to be spurred on by watching the national Softball Manager, Loh Sher Sern, who exclaimed randomly ' I'm so sian! ' As pace picked up, so did the physical approach. By now, Fahrul had been outmuscled pretty badly but his willingness to play on was commendable as he was the sole breadwinner of many corners and set pieces. After hitting the post twice, it seemed inevitable that Tongkat would score and so they did, with Fahrul picking himself up from a bad tackle by the onrushing Bayern Keeper, Milton Koh, slotting in a goal by poking his leg onto the free rolling ball in the goalmouth scramble.

A close fight ensured, with the nature of the competitive spirit seeping into the players' confidence. With Chor Yuan and Song guilty of missing good chances, it was up to Roy Chou whose contributions were previously made anonymous due to imperious defending by Liow Yiyang and Kenneth Lim to cut a through pass to Fahrul whose follow up shot was the equaliser, denying Bayern Munjan of their first win.

By then, Bayern Munjan fans were made to leave the match with a bittersweet experience but credit really must go to the fighting spirit of Tongkat.

Final Score: Bayern Munjan 2 - 2 Tongkat

Vamosh Ravage River for Five

2006-03-24T23:41:00.000+08:00

It turned out that the highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash between first-placed Vamosh and second-placed Jordan River was to be a no show after all. With most of the pre-match taunts coming from well-versed Jordan River fans claiming that their club would beat Vamosh by three goals and top the table, expectations were high. However, after a mere three minutes into the match, the Fanatically Fantasizing Fans of Jordan River were plunged straight back to reality.

Three goals in slightly more than a minute left Jordan River, including debutant Han “Peter Crouch’ Sheng, shell-shocked as every attack from Vamosh looked like the ball would end up in the back of Reuben Ong’s net. The capitulation however, cannot be blamed on a poor Jordan River performance, as Vamosh were simply in a class of its own.

After the initial midfield tussles, Richard Foong exploded onto the scene with a terrific show of ball juggling skills, flicking the ball over two defenders and laying the ball delicately at the feet of the onrushing Marcus Low who thumped the ball home first time to give Vamosh the lead.

Straight after kickoff, Vamosh quickly regained possession and with Jordan River stunned, Richard once again took advantage. Finding space on the left of the penalty box, he let fly with a thunderous strike that left Reuben grasping thin air as the ball completely massacred the roof of the net.

Not content with their two-goal lead, Marcus Lim decided he wanted in on the fun. Within another few seconds, he scored a carbon-copy goal, this time from the right of the penalty box, leaving the partisan crowd in pin drop silence and the poor net pleading for mercy.

Down three-nil in a match supposed to be theirs, Jordan River bravely attempted to stage a comeback. However, they were stopped by a one-man defensive machine in the form of the imperious Kenneth Lui, who gave free-scoring striker Greg Ho absolutely no space, effectively shutting down their only source of attack.

Jordan River managed to limp to the break without conceding further and met a fired-up Alastair Su in the dressing room. He began a long treatise on 3-0 comebacks, with none other than Liverpool’s Champion’s League comeback taking the fore. Pumped up for the restart with memories of the Inspiring Istanbul Ideal, it remained to be seen whether Jordan River could emulate the men in red.

However, Vamosh had a far different script in mind, and put paid to their hopes within minutes of the restart. Despite the best efforts of Justin Low, Richard the Lionheart once again plunged his blade deep into Jordan River hearts with yet another brilliantly executed shot that left Reuben helpless and almost tore apart the inexplicably injured net.

With the match drawing to a close, Jordan River were given a mini-lifeline as a Greg Ho header deflected off Justin the Destroyer and into the goal to make the score 4-1. It was to be scant consolation as chants of ‘Mmmonster-Kill Mmmarcus’ erupted as DS doubled his tally for the day with yet another belter.

The score would indeed have been much worse if not for several top-notch saves from Reuben Ong, but he was powerless to prevent Vamosh from being the first team to claim the extra point for scoring five goals in a game. Perhaps its a warning from Vamosh, who even without talismanic captain Stanley Ong, ripped apart their closest challengers to shreds. Rest of IB League, beware.

Final Score: Vamosh 5 -1 Jordan River

Team of the Week - Round 4

2006-03-23T19:04:00.000+08:00

Goalkeeper - Reuben Ong (Jordan River): Was his typically assured self and earned his team a clean sheet with several notable saves against the misfiring Bayern Munjan strikers. His gravity-defying dives and incredible reaction saves never cease to take the breath away.

Defender - Jordan Tan (Jordan River): What with his team almost being named after him it was about time he made the team of the week. The agressive full-back fought heart and soul, helping his team to victory with a impressive performance. Never shy to explore the flair side to his game, Jordan did his best try and get himself a goal, but unfortunately, it didn't quite work out. Tsktsk.

Defender - Zul (Tongkat): Flying Full-back turned in a superlative performance in what was to be his last game in a Tongkat shirt for a considerable period of time after his disappointing ankle injury. Almost scored a solo wonder only to see his bullet shot rebound off the woodwork.

Forward - Stanley Ong (Vamosh): creativity, flair, silky skills, and an eye for goal. What more can one say? Aside from recording the quicket ever goal in the IB league, it was a another day in the office for "Stan the Man" who's Vamosh team is quickly making IB League title race a foregone conclusion.

Forward - Henry (playboys): Two neat goals against a hapless Nehmine side once again reinforced his reputation as one of the league's most feared strikers. Like his English Premiership namesake Theirry, Henry and his Team are quickly finding their form.

*Apologies from the Commitee for the delays experienced in the release of this edition of TOTW

LATEST: Ashok Transfer Move Scuppered

2006-03-15T21:54:00.000+08:00

The IB League Press Centre reports that, based purely on our much-informed sources, that Tongkat FC's versatile midfielder Ashok Palaniappian's stunning transfer to the Raffles League has failed apparently due to Ashok's blemished criminal record, having been caught for numerous drink-driving and assault charges in the past.

His Agent, Kohsa Naippainalap the Second, denies this, claiming that it was due to the Raffles League FA bocking his transfer on grounds of 'incompatible allegiances' and 'distinct lack of interest' to his new league.

More reports to follow...

Return of the Kuan sends Nehmine to their 4th consecutive defeat

2006-03-13T12:38:00.000+08:00

The mid-day sun scorched the earth below. The silhouette of overhead crows dotted the otherwise vast land of emptiness. The tension of the still air threatened to drown out all noise with silence. A figure approached..

Meanwhile in the final match of Week 4, Nehmine kicked off against Playboys in the sweltering heat. Playboys welcome back their inspirational captain, Joel Kuan but had 3 of their scholars out on international duty. Smelling an upset, Nehmine rushed out of the gates, with Daryl Tay making good runs with his quick thinking that translated into quick feet. Watching him play was National Manager, Jarvin Lim, who took note of his ability but said 'he could be better if he wasnt so soft in his physical approach'.

However Nehmine could not capitalise on their good energy and eagerness as attack after attack was repelled not only by the opposition team, but by their own lack of a killer touch. Playboys soon got used to heat and begun to play their usual style of flowing attacks, utilizing any player in every position.

Chessmaster Jason Goh stood in their way, often seen fighting bravely for every ball, with the same determination that one needs to keep all 8 pawns alive throughout the rest of a game. Even non-chess players would know that it was an impossible task to finish a match with all 8 pawns as Joel, Nigel Koh and Henry R., professional triangle players, found their way to goal. With yet another failed set piece, it was up to Henry to collect the loose ends with a good left leg shot that left Nehmine's keeper, Mao Boyuan, stranded.

Mao tried to encourage his team, bellowing out the team name, motto and mission statement ' Nehmine, Nehmine! ' and was forced to feel a little tinge of de jevu as Henry grabbed his second goal quickly with a right legged volley. After the quick two goals, it became one way traffic.

Jonathan Lew, who was anchoring the defense till then, decided that he wanted a goal and was rewarded with a goal mouth scramble that he was happy to benefit from, tapping into goal simply. Playboys soon revealed their training in set pieces as Joel was seen making a flurry of hand signals that roughly meant ' long throw to me, i will score. ' and that was exactly how he scored Playboys' 4th.

A 5th goal was no longer out of the question but Nehmine refused to give up, endearing themselves to fans with their pluckiness. Yet nice team as they have, they simply had no sting. This was finally put into words by watching Bayern Munjan manager, Kenneth Lim, who observed that Nehmine's throw-ins were softer than the Playboys' headed clearances.

Final Score - Nehmine 0 - 4 Playboys

Ashok Swansong Ends in Tears

2006-03-11T16:00:00.000+08:00

Ashok Palaniappian’s last game for Tongkat FC following his transfer to another less renowned football league ended in disappointing defeat as he was unable to spark his team against a Vamosh team very much in the mood. The early talk all centered on Ashok’s controversial move to the Raffles league and there was plenty of tears and sorrow at his decision. When contacted however, Ashok wasn’t keen to disclose too many details.

He simply said, ‘It isn’t for the money. It isn’t for the football. I only have the best interests of my young family in mind. My heart goes out to all my fans and I hope they continue to support this wonderful league.’

However, as Tongkat minds were on Ashok’s departure, Vamosh and Captain Stanley Ong were in no sympathetic mood. After a mere 3.42 seconds, Stan the Man released a low drive that buried itself in Tongkat’s bottom corner, and in the process recording the quickest goal ever in IB league history.

Stanley's record shattering goal

With Vamosh in the lead and Tongkat spirits on the low, Stanley and co. began to work their magic through the wings and smashed the posts another two times. Tongkat’s deadline day signing Mark Chua, on his first team debut, was unable to adjust well the pace of the Vamosh attacks and looked uncomfortable in the first few minutes. Ashok tried to lift their spirits with his regular box of tricks but Tongkat were unable to create much.

As expected, Tongkat was soon two goals down. Cries of ‘Alamak’ reverberated around the stadium as supporters discovered that an own goal had been scored and Tongkat were in even greater trouble. However, they were able to count on Zul to try and inspire a comeback. The flying full back simply terrorized the Vamosh defence at the start of the second half and almost scored a solo wonder goal, only to see his rasping shot cannon back against the crossbar.

Tongkat’s day was only about to get worse as after a clash between Zul and Marcus Low, the paramedics had to be called with Zul unable to get up after badly injuring his ankle. Tongkat, with no substitutes then requested the game to be played with only 4 players, and Vamosh sportingly took of a player.

The match was about to take an entertaining turn however as Marcus Lim was sent on. With three attacking players, it was obvious that Vamosh were going for goals. However, the extra chromosome was of no help this time round, with DS spurning two wonderful chances with the goal at his mercy. He still managed to get his goal however with a cheeky back-flick to wrap up the match. It appears the rumour of him having eyes behind his back may not just be gossip after all…

FINAL SCORE: Vamosh 3-0 Tongkat

Finally: The IB League Table

2006-03-06T21:22:00.000+08:00

	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
Vamos	4	4	0	0	10	1	9	12
Jordan River	4	3	0	1	8	3	4	9
Playboys	4	2	1	1	7	4	3	7
Tongkat	4	2	0	2	5	5	0	6
Bayern Munjan	4	0	1	3	2	5	-3	1
Nehmine	4	0	0	4	0	15	-15	0

*One goal was deducted from Nehmine FC due to illegally fielding one extra player during a match

**Every 5 goals a team scores garners an extra point, regardless of the outcome of the match

Jordan River Trickle Past Disappointing Bayern

2006-03-06T21:16:00.000+08:00

Despite high hopes before the match to overturn second-placed Jordan River and get their season back on track, due to their perplexing and maddening profligacy before goal, Bayern Manjan had no choice but to yet again board the Team Bus to India with their heads hung in defeat.

In his post-match interview, a visibly jaded Milton Koh revealed the extent of their shooting problems. He said, “Aiyah, I tell you. Our team just cannot score la.” His comments were underscored by the fact that his team has not seen the shooting boots of both Ben Chia and their Lone Camper, both of whom were excused by the manager for their other, slightly mysterious, part-time jobs involving a stick and a ball.

The match began with Bayern dominating the play, but as usual, not converting several gilt-edged chances. They were soon to rue this as out of nowhere, double Player of the Week Winner Greg Ho sprang to life in the Manjan box and lashed a thumping shot into Milton’s top right hand corner, leaving the crowd (and several reporters) gushing in awe.

In the lead and confident of their defensive stability, Jordan River began to let Bayern’s poor finishing play on their minds, absorbing their attacks and hitting them on the break through speed demons DT and Greg. At the end of the day, Bayern were limited only to speculative shots and the under-achieving side crashed to their third straight defeat.

For Jordan River however, there was only jubilation as their team closed the gap on the relentless Vamosh. Interesting to note however was their suspicious pre-match preparations, observed by a certain Sheik through a secret video camera placed inside their hideout of a changing room, located in the chemistry lab run by a Mr. Alistair Chew.

Our Sheik, whose identity cannot be revealed due to his allegiance to the League and the School, admitted that he heard members of the team reminding each other to wind up the opposition after seeing the entire Bayern team attend Anger Management classes. What the Jordan River player was doing at those classes however, our Sheik was unable to say in fear of being beaten to a pulp.

FINAL SCORE: JRFC 1-0 BAYERN MUNJAN

Team of the Week - Round Three

2006-03-03T11:16:00.000+08:00

Shreya - Played a stunner for Tongkat, keeping out a barrage of attempts from Bayern Manjan, which included stifling a certain El Shotgun as well as overcoming the sneaky attempts of Lone Camper Song Yun. His clean sheet allowed Tongkat to win undeservedly 1-0.

Kah Chee - His no-nonsense defending and extremely buffed-up body completely suffocated the attack, and leaving mangled bodies of outfield players in his wake.

Marcus Lim DS - His extra chromosome was finally of some use - it granted him the innate ability to have eyes behind his head and backflick the ball into the back of the net of which only he could have done.

DT - Ran riot in the opposition defence, often too fast to handle and leaving skid marks on the court. Harmful for the eyes as you often see blurs.

Greg Ho - Super-sub Greg Ho has done it again, destroying woeful Nehmine wif a hat-trick. Will he ever stop scoring?

Girls Watch Football Too

2006-02-27T22:13:00.000+08:00

The IB League's very own leigon of Female Fans

High-Flying Jordan River, Second in the Table

Vamosh Victorious..again

2006-02-27T21:00:00.000+08:00

As we enter Week 3, High fliers Vamosh entertain second placed Playboys in this top of the table clash. Playboys start without their inspirational captain Joel Kuan who was away on international duty. Nevertheless his replacement, Jonathan Lew, proved more than adequate.

Vamosh appeared to employ strategy, handing Justin the Destroyer his first start. His 'heck, just hack' attitude sure frustrated the opposing teams, stopping many of Playboys' promising attacks. The legality of his approach remained questionable but the job was done. Both sides played as cautiously as if it was the International Minesweeper Championships and prompted several observers to echo the thought that they were negating each other - Solid defense versus Slick attack.

The first half was entirely a tale of two goalkeepers as Royce and Jinyan attempted to out throw each other, distributing long passes that were admittedly accurate. With the first half ending goal-less, Vamosh substituted Justin for the calm defensive influence of Marcus-i-just-came-from-basketball-match-Low. With stability at the back, Vamosh attack with renewed vigour but credit must go to the Playboys for defending and counter-attacking well.

Then came a moment of briliance. Stanley Ong, the self-titled Titration god, proved the worth on his tag by slotting a shot from tight angle into goal with accuracy only a Bottle of Phenophthalein could measure, leaving Royce with no chance at saving it. Undoubtably, there was no uncertainty involved in the calculation.

With the game having sprung into action, Vamosh sat back and soaked the many attacks of the Playboys'. Nigel Koh and Jonathan Lew combined well but could not convert their chances. Shortly after the first goal, Marcus Low pumped a long ball off the scalp of Marcus Lim and flicked into the goal. This fueled further speculation that the two Marcuses had been practising the move at the famed Recess Soccer Academy.

By now, a somewhat muted Playboys was plucky enough to keep attacking and an extremely hard shot by Nigel was saved by Richard in a sensitive area but he recovered soon enough to line up another shot that was well intercepted by Nigel's sliding legs. The game ended with Vamosh contented to protect their two-goal lead and they are now perched on the top of the table with a 100% record so far.

Final score : Playboys 0 - 2 Vamosh

(Minor) Victory For Nehmine F.C

2006-02-26T22:00:00.000+08:00

Nehmine FC entered week 3 with moral at all time low, having let in 7 goals and scoring none in only 2 games. Nehminers were even turning against each other as displayed in the last match against Tongkat FC when Anjan Biswas tackled teammate Mao Boyuan midway through the first half. Things could not get worse as they prepared to face Jordan River FC, but captain Dhanesh Chainani was as optimistic as ever at the press conference claiming “the river’s gonna overflow today” ahead of the match.

Unfortunately but rather predictably, Jordan River was flowing smoothly from the kickoff, with DT Poh Seng returning to control the midfield after his stint as a makeship keeper. DT, Ethan Koh and Alistair Su ran circles around Dhanesh and company, no mean feat indeed. With their talismanic keeper Jamal Siddique still on the sidelines nursing a back injury, it was up to replacement keeper Mao to stop waves of attack coming from the River, with DT and Ethan dribbling through at ease. It was only a matter of time before DT put his team into the lead, dribbling spectacularly past 3 Nehmine defenders before toe-poking the ball past the keeper, a goal worthy of the hefty price of admission. It was a miracle Nehmine were only 1-0 down at half time. Our undercover reporter going by the pseudonym TP heard Dhanesh rallying his troops, telling them "to stick to the Jordan Rivere players like Indian glue".

After the break, Jordan River threw on their super-sub Gregory Ho and for the second consecutive week, the floodgates opened as Nehmine completely collapsed in the second half. The diminutive demon scored a second half hat-trick, stealing the limelight from a truly spectacular performance from DT. After Greg’s second goal, Nehmine in a surprise move threw on Jamal in the outfield a la Barthez in hope of avoiding another large defeat. However, it turned out that Jamal was actually worse than Barthez in the outfield. Additionally, it turned out that Jamal hadn’t really replaced anyone when he came on, so Nehmine had been playing with 6 players for 4minutes without the referee noticing. In his defence the ref in question, who remains nameless, claimed “I didn’t see they had an extra player cos they were still getting thrashed”.

Despite being 4-0, Nehmine still plucked away with what little possession they had and were rewarded with their first even goal in the IB league when Bharat broke free and slotted the ball past Reuben Ong. Nehmine had finally broken their duck and were in high spirits because of this minor victory. However, due to their illegal extra man on the pitch, the IB league committee of 4 agreed to deduct 1 goal from Nehmine FC’s tally, leaving them still technically goalless in the competition

Final Score : Jordan River 4 – 0 Nehmine FC

Bitter Blow for Bayern

2006-02-26T13:39:00.000+08:00

The first match of the day between Manjan and Tongkat was seemingly overshadowed by two interesting debutants on show – The IB League’s first ever loan signing Fahrul, made by the typically desperate Tongkat FC eager not to have a certain Ashok Palanippan starting as striker again after missing 5 one-on-ones last week. The other debutant was Founder’s Day Emcee Jonathan Jacobs as Match Referee, who was to learn that refereeing is nowhere near as simple as getting full marks for math.

With the ground conditions making slick and precise play difficult, both teams started off sluggishly with the only early chance of note being Ashok’s cheap imitation of a David Beckham Lob, leaving the crowd stunned only because it actually came close. (It hit the crossbar)

Bayern soon began to take the impetus after that early scare and the Tongkat ‘keeder Shrey did extremely well to keep out a barrage of attempts from Kenneth Lim and Song “I cover more than 5 meters” Yun. Bayern’s dominance was not surprising considering Tongkat appeared to be playing with a man short; the crowd talking in hushed tones about the sudden disappearance of Melvin Wong, who had made a couple of slack passes earlier. It appeared that Tongkat were desperately missing their talismanic, legendary, Hat- trick scoring, player of the week, Shannon Tan.

To amazement of everyone in the crowd however, Melvin Wong suddenly re-appeared to take a throw-in soon after the match re-started. Either through cunning and guile or having mistaken the game he was playing, Melvin hurled the ball with pace at the Bayern goal. Milton, caught by surprise, deflected the ball into his own net. A cheeky goal that deserves no plaudits whatsoever.

Bayern Manjan, stung and outraged at the farcical goal, began to string some stupendous play together only to be denied by the combined efforts of Shrey and Ashok – who finally realized that he was only of use standing on the goal line. Tang Kah Chee was an enormous presence in defence, leaving el shotgun firing blanks. For all of Bayern’s dominance, they were unable to make the breakthrough and crashed to a bitter defeat, leaving them at the tail end of the IB League Spectrum.

Final Score: Bayern Manjan 0 – 1 Tongkat FC

Team of the Week - Round 2

2006-02-23T20:06:00.000+08:00

Goalkeeper - Milton Koh (Bayern Munjan)

Defender(R) - Justin Low (Jordan River)

Defender(L) - Marcus Low (Vamosh)

Midfielder(C) - Joel Kwan (Playboys)

Striker - Shannon Tan* (Tongkat FC) *no image*

*Denotes Player of the Week

Nehmine Humiliated

2006-02-21T20:06:00.000+08:00

The build up to highly anticipated clash between Tongkat F.C and Nehmine F.C was tainted with controversy, with rumours of matchfixing circulating throughout the school due to the large number of "Indians" involved in the contest. However, this terrible racial prejudice was pure speculation as upon further investigation, it surfaced that the two teams were anything but friendly towards each other and were in no mood to collaborate on any level.

The match itself opened with a one sided first half, with Tongkat dominating proceedings. Shannon Tan in particular was out to prove his critics wrong after a dismal showing in the previous week. However, it was none other than Mr Golden Boots himself, Anjan Biswas, who was gifted with the first chance of the match, latching on to a loose ball and finding himself one on one with his arch nemesis Shreya Mohta . Luckily for Tongkat the Indian National’s shot was as weak as his biceps, and Shreya was able to save comfortably.

Nehmine continued to defy odds in the second half, somehow holding on to 0 – 0 scoreline despite having 20% possession. Tongkat’s two sumos in defence, Kah Chee and Zul outmuscled anyone and everyone off the ball, rendering Anjan, Daryl and Mao more useless than ever before. The floodgates finally opened when Ashok Pallaniappan blazed past 10 defenders and fed the ball to Shannon who made no mistake. Shannon doubled his tally within seconds with a deft header, and it wasn’t long before Marcus Ng made it 3-0 to the Tongkatian after yet another piece of brilliance/luck from Ashok. Shannon managed to complete his hat-trick just before the final whistle, creating history for scoring the first ever hat-trick in the league, and underlining Nehmine’s humiliation.

Final Score : Tongkat FC 4 – 0 Nehmine FC

River could not hold

2006-02-19T20:30:00.000+08:00

When Jordan River F.C. fielded their midfield kingpin, DT Poh Seng as their goalkeeper, whispers started in the crowd. Whether their star keeper was out on a cruciate knee injury or at a drama meeting could not be confirmed at press time. Whatever it is, DT was flawless as the man in goal. Yet his creative influence was missed on the court as Jordan River could only muster raids down the left wing that looked promising, with the marauding Jordan Tan adventuring forward. Yet nothing could topple the concentration and consistency of Royce, Playboys' keeper.

Ethan Koh and Gregory Ho looked like brothers on the pitch, with their chemistry and skill that teased the Playboys' defense like an APGP question that had a solution out of reach. However, one could always count on the defensive leadership of Joel Kuan who marshalled his team well, with Nigel Koh covering the occasional attempt at sneaking past the defense. Each team attacked with much vigour and everyone came out unharmed except the two goalposts.

In the 12th minute, Playboys looked set to go ahead with Joel lining up a shot at an empty goal after a goalmouth scramble but from out of nowhere, Justin Loh came from behind to block his shot. Frustration at the inability to convert was apparent in both teams. Crowd trouble was spotted with the fans impatient at the lack of goals and a reported amount of flares were confiscated by authorities. The gates to goal-dom finally opened in the 15th minute after Joel made a headed goal looked easy after a long kick by Royce. Instantly the pace picked up and Jordan River poured forward and soon enough, Justin was rewarded for his good performance with a neatly taken half volley.

With Jordan River satisfied with playing for a draw in the closing minutes, it was up to Nigel and Henry Rosyawan to make sure Joel's efforts did not go to waste. Nigel made DT dive to an acrobatic save and a minute later, Jordan River paid for their negative football with a goal dispatched by Henry in the final minute of the game.

Final Score: Jordan River 1 – 2 Playboys

Bayern Hopes Vamosh-ed in Loss

2006-02-18T00:54:00.000+08:00

The first match of the second round of the inaugural IB League pitted high-flying Vamosh against the ever eager Bayern Munjan, who were determined to rubbish rumors about them being ‘soft’ in the tackle. This was greatly helped by the much anticipated return of their no nonsense skipper Kenneth Lim. After tossing French classes aside for the day, ‘kani’, as he is affectionately known by the fans, was adamant that his team would put one over their arch-rivals.

However, he was to be disappointed as Vamosh completely ran riot in the first half, doing everything but putting the ball in the net. Last week’s player of the week Stanley Ong hit the post as Vamosh controlled the match. The only glimmer of hope for Bayern Munjan was the excellent link up play between Mark ‘El Shotgun’ Chiang and Long camper Eng Song Yun, who covered a total of 5 meters in his classic role.

Vamosh began the second half with a spring in their step, and after a few ravishing attacking moves finally put the ball in the back of net. Richard Foong towered over the despairing Munjan defenders to powerfully head the ball past Milton Koh from a corner. Bayern Munjan however, did not let their heads drop and scored right from the restart. Chief camper Eng was caught out of position in midfield but his position helped this time; after a quick exchange of passes with Chiang he sidestepped the panicking defender and brutally lashed the ball past the Nehmine Keeper, who did well to get out of its way.

After a few more spurned chances, it became clear that Vamosh were in no mood to mess around. Attack after attack flowed freely and battered the Munjan defence., with only one thing standing in their way. Almost single handedly keeping munjan in the game, Milton’s most stunning contribution was a brilliant double save in what is sure to go down as one of the greatest saves in IB league history. However, he was helpless to stop Vamosh’s winner as Marcus Low got to a deflected clearance and scored the winner.

Taking a page out of Bolton’s ‘The Offcial Guide for teams trying to defend a one-goal lead’, Vamosh Skipper Stanley Ong atrociously suggested to his team mates to time waste. The utterly despicable tactics were to be adopted by Vamosh however, who began to play on the counter-attack and could have finished the game off if not for the best efforts of Milton Koh. Final Score:

Vamosh 2-1 Bayern Munjan

Team of the Week - Round One

2006-02-17T21:08:00.000+08:00

Team of Week

Jamal

Justin Kah Chee

Stanley

Greg Ho

Jamal: Despite his team losing by three goals to top of the table Vamos, Nehmine’s commanding ‘keeper made some superlative saves to keep the score from going into double figures. The pick of the bunch was a brilliant reaction stop from a Stanley Ong bicycle kick from only few yards out. His other less renown outfield skills were also on display as Jamal did his best to rally the Nehmine troops by doing a David James and playing as a striker in the dying minutes of the game, but his brave efforts were in vain.

Kah Chee: The bullish defender outmuscled Jordan River’s diminutive forwards for most of the game and was unlucky to be on the losing end after two brilliant individual efforts resulted in two goals for the opposition. His sheer physical presence was enough to put off the best efforts of DT and Ethan who were unable to get past this domineering Centre-half.

Justin: Turned in a superb defensive performance for Jordan River FC, and the floodgates never opened. A rock in defence, he hardly gave the Tongkat attackers a sniff, all the more commendable considering he was up against the legendary Shannon Tan, who was limited to speculative efforts. In typical Justin style, he controlled his backline with consummate ease and nonchalance.

Stanley: Capped a virtuoso performance with a well taken goal that sealed Vamos’ win. His stylish on court demeanor never failed to frustrate the opposition and his remarkable box of tricks left the Nehmine players consoling themselves with their club motto after every failed tackle. The only sour note was him being denied a spectacular overhead kick by the Nehmine ‘Keeper that concluded some glorious one-touch passing by Vamos.

Greg Ho: Although he started as a substitute, Greg burst into life after coming off the bench. After dazzling the crowd and the Tongkat defence with some stupendous dribbling, within minutes of his arrival he finished off a brilliant individual move with a clinical shot. He later doubled his tally with a cool tap in from a trademark Justin Low long ball, which clinched his side a deserved 2-0 victory.

Jordan River FC Opens League with Win

2006-02-17T21:05:00.000+08:00

Tongkat F.C Vs Jordan River FC

The inaugural IB league kicked off last Friday with Tongkat FC, led by the former legend Shannon Tan, taking on Jordan River FC. Little was known about these two team’s abilities and both teams were cautious in the beginning. The first half was a dry match in wet weather and the slight drizzle reflected the standard of play. Jordan River seem to have the upper hand but even as DT Poh Seng rattled the framework, they could do little to get pass the immense rock that was standing between them and the lead, Tang Kah Chee. However, all would change in the second half.

Like a ray of light shining through the clouds, on came Gregory Ho for Jordan River and the match sparked into life. After two quality goals by the diminutive forward, which made him the first ever scorer in the IB League, Jordan River were cruising. Tongkat F.C had trouble creating anything as the lackluster strikeforce of Shannon, Ashok and Imran were all firing blanks. Final score :

Jordan River F.C 2 – 0 Tongkat F.C

Bayern Manjan Vs Playboys

The second match of the day featured two teams of which much was expected from. Bayern Manjan, led by Kenneth Lim, looked to get their season of to a flying start against the Playboys and all of their foreign talent.

Despite having an average height of less than 160cm, the Playboys resorted to long ball tactics, trying to catch out keeper Milton Koh who towered over them. The giant keeper punched ball after ball out of his penalty area, trying to distribute it to chief camper Eng Song Yun who unfortunately was having as much effect as our school’s hair rules. Milton soon displayed his skills on the ground, saving a one on one against Henry Rosyawan.

Milton’s efforts seemed to galvanize his team, and they duly took the lead in the second half after a quick corner found Mark Chiang unmarked, and the big man dispatched it with ease into the bottom corner. However, just as quickly as Bayern Manjan took the lead, they lost it.

S traight from the restart, some slick passing found Jonathan Lew one on one with the keeper, and this time Milton had no chance. In the end, a score draw was a fair reflection of the competitive match. Final score :

Bayern Manjan 1 – 1 Playboys

Vamos Vs Nehmine F.C

The final match of the day pitted Vamos, pre-season favorites to win it all, against fan favorites Nehmine F.C, the underdogs of the league. In this mismatch of the century, Nehmine captain Dhanesh Chainani managed to beat his counterpart Stanley Ong in the pre-match scissors, paper stone game. However, it turned out to be the only thing that went Nehmine’s way the whole game.

From the opening whistle Vamos dominated, with the starting quartet of Stanley, Richard Foong, Marcus Lim DS and Kenneth Lui playing some irresistible football. Nehmine’s defence was constantly stretched, with keeper Jamal Siddique in inspired form. But Vamos were playing with such chemistry even Alistair Chew would have been impressed, and it was only a matter of time before Marcus Lim put Vamos ahead. Despite having Richard’s goal disallowed, Vamos went into halftime supremely confident on a win.

The second half was one way traffic as well, Jamal resorting to kicking his goal kicks to the space frame in an effort to waste time. Super-sub Nigel “Lele” Sia grabbed Vamos’ second goal after a period of constant pressure and Stanley capped a true captain’s performance with the final goal after Nehmine’s keeper had gone up for a corner in the last minute. Final score :

Vamos 3 – 0 Nehmine F.C