Eagles eyes league revival as second round kicks off

Head coach Noor Ali has demanded a strong response from his side as Geylang International aims to revive their fortunes in the Singapore Premier League, starting with a crunch away game against leaders Lion City Sailors at Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday.

Well-rested from a one-month break, the Eagles are looking to turn the corner as the second round of the league commences. They have five points out from seven matches and sit in seventh place in the eight-team standings.

Despite getting off to a dream start with a stunning 1-0 win over the sailors in the season-opening fixture, the Eagles have not been able to build on that victory. Sime Zuzul’s early strike failed to inspire Geylang in their second match against Hougang United as they ended up with a 3-2 defeat.  

The Eagles then picked up two more draws and suffered three more defeats, with the heaviest being a 4-1 to Young Lions just before the break,

“We need to bounce back as quickly as possible. We need to start collecting points if we’re going to finish well by October,” stressed Noor Ali.

“The recent break allowed us to regroup and work on our weaknesses. We cannot turn back the clock, but we can look forward and stay positive.

“We can get back on our feet. I have confidence in my boys. They remain in high spirit and positive despite the difficult start. That’s what matters.”

The Eagles can expect to face a strong reaction from the reigning champions, who had recovered from the season-opening loss to lead the SPL.

They picked up where they left off from the first round by beating Hougang United 4-3 to make four wins on the trot and opened up a four-point lead over second-placed Tampines Rovers.

But having ended their six-match winless run against LCS in the earlier fixture, Geylang International will be out to pull off the same feat once more to prove that the win is not a flash in the pan.