Gutsy Eagles stage dogged fight in narrow loss to Sailors

The Eagles were unfortunate not to leave Jalan Besar Stadium with at least a point after putting up a determined performance only to fall to a 1-0 defeat to reigning AIA Singapore Premier League champions, Lion City Sailors on Saturday.

Play was suspended less than five minutes after kick-off because of lightning threats. When the match resumed an hour later, it was the Sailors who enjoyed the major share of possession. However, it was Vincent Bezecourt who could have put the Eagles ahead in the 13th minute but saw his shot go narrowly off the far right post.

Five minutes later, the Sailors could have taken the lead after Maxime Lestienne swung a perfect cross from the left flank, only for the towering Kim Shin-wook to see his header go way off the gasping goal post.

The Eagles had another chance to break the stalemate in the 28th minute when Sime Zuzul’s precise pass found Hazzuwan Halim clear on the left, who raced clear with only Hassan Sunny to beat. 

However, the Eagles were denied the early advantage when Hazzuwan’s shot was brilliantly blocked by Hassan.

The Sailors were finally rewarded when an unmarked Diego Lopes got his fourth goal of the season after heading in Lestienne’s corner to give Sailors the lead.

Takahiro Tezuka had another opportunity to bring the Eagles back to level terms when play resumed. But the 23-year-old Japanese midfielder saw his fierce attempt at goal go wide in the 60th minute. 

Two minutes later, Bezecourt was presented with another chance to level the score again when Zuzul managed to break away from the tight Sailors’ defence to pass the ball to the Frenchman, who saw his effort fly over agonisingly off the bar.

Geylang International continued to press for the equaliser, and they came close again in the dying minutes of the match when Tezuka’s free-kick attempt just clipped the top of the bar, denying them another opportunity to pull level in the 89th minute.

While disappointed with not being able to secure at least a point, Geylang International Head Coach Noor was pleased with the determination shown by his charges in their first competitive start in 28 days.

“The boys really put up a good fight tonight. We showed lots of a character out there on the pitch, and everyone could see they gave more than 100%. It might not be the result we had hoped for, but this team will continue to fight for every ball and point as the season progresses,” said Noor.