Eagles suffer defeat to league leaders
Geylang International could not find an answer to Albirex Niigata’s attacking threat as they lost 5-0 to the league leaders, who go eight points clear atop the Singapore Premier League table with their latest victory at Jurong East Stadium.
Amy Recha had the early chance to put the Eagles ahead in the 21st minute but his long-range effort after rounding up Takahiro Koga hit the right post. It was the White Swans who drew first blood in the 30th minute after Fikri Junaidi fired them ahead with a thunderbolt strike that sailed past Zaiful Nizam in the near post.
Albirex Niigata went into the break with a slender goal advantage but doubled their lead when Ryosuke Nagasawa found himself within goal sight and the Japanese forward made no mistake as he slotted the ball into the net with a low drive from inside the box.
The Eagles responded almost immediately when Matheus Moresche’s cross on the left flank found Barry Maguire only for the Dutchman to see his header well saved by Koga.
Zaiful top draw save in the 75th min denied Albirex Niigita from going further ahead. But he could not find an answer to Ryoya Taniguchi’s thumping header that went into the back of the net three minutes later.
Taniguchi then got his second goal of the evening when he drilled home another piledriver with three minutes remaining. Substitute Kuraba Konda piled further misery for the Eagles as he capitalised on another defensive slip-up to slot home Albirex Niigata’s fifth goal of the night.
A visibly disappointed Noor Ali, Head Coach of Geylang International said: “It was not the result we were hoping for. We just have to pick ourselves up again and do better in our three remaining games.”
Lineup: Zaiful Nizam, Ilhan Noor, Danny Kim, Amy Recha, Barry Maguire, Matheus Moresche, Harith Kanadi, Asshukrie Wahid (Christopher van Huizen 57), Firdaus Kasman (Umar Akhbar 89), Yuki Ichikawa (C), Afiq Yunos (Abdil Qaiyyim 46)