Eagles look to continue winning run as Tigers lay in wait

Geylang International will be aiming to keep the momentum going when they travel to Toa Payoh Stadium to play Balestier Khalsa on Saturday.

The atmosphere in the Eagles’ dressing room has turned lively again after Sunday’s 1-0 win over Tanjong Pagar. The victory snapped an 11-game winless streak for Geylang International. It was their first since they upset reigning Singapore Premier League champions Lion City Sailors in their opening fixture of the season. 

Regardless of whether the win turns out to be the turning point for Geylang, Head coach Noor Ali believes the long-overdue victory is set to do his side’s confidence a whole world of good.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a turning point, but it’s definitely a good start at this point,” said Noor.

“All we need now is consistency. If we can build on this win and keep the momentum going, then we’re back on track.”

Noor was also quick to point out the importance of translating the scoring chances into goals- an area his side has struggled to fix since the start of the season.

A solitary fifth-minute strike from Vincent Bezecourt was enough for the Eagles to see off Tanjong Pagar, but Noor certainly has a reason to be concerned with his team’s continuous struggle to produce goals despite the number of attempts they had.

The Eagles blasted 15 shots in total, with nine were on target. They had also previously paid the price for failing to build on the lead, as evident in the 2-2 draw against the Young Lions recently, where they were 2-0 ahead after the first half.

“We need to kill off the game. This has been the same story for us for the whole season,” said Noor.

“If you look at the whole game, the team have to work on their finishing. We need to convert as many of the chances we have.

“One thing for sure, we cannot be defending the entire game. We need to score to win.

“I know this team always work hard for the entire 90 minutes. But at the end of the day, it’s all about making the chances count.”