Heartbreak for Eagles at the death

Geylang International were denied all three points after Albirex Niigata’s Tadanari Lee struck deep into stoppage time to ensure the home side would come away with a 2-2 draw at the Jurong East Stadium on Sunday evening.

The Eagles looked poised to register their first win over the White Swans since July 2019 as they held on to their 2-1 advantage until Lee fired a late equaliser, that appeared to have come off Faizal Roslan to break the hearts of the away side.

With the draw, Geylang International remain in sixth place with 24 points from 20 games – one point behind Hougang United and four above Balestier Khalsa.

The Eagles stuck closely to their defensive plan in the opening 45 minutes, restricting the White Swans to just one shot on target. After the restart, they drew first blood with a well-worked goal between Ilhan Noor, Sime Zuzul and Vincent Bezecourt.

Starting from the right flank, Bezecourt’s pass to Ilhan found Zuzul who prised open Albirex’s defence with a precise delivery to the Frenchman, who continued his run before tucking the ball into the bottom left corner of the net in the 51st minute.

However, the lead only lasted for seven minutes as Ilhan Fandi quickly drew Albirex Niigata level with a cool finish by lifting the ball over Zaiful Nizam after an assist from Lee, who had just come on as a substitute in the 57th minute. 

Zuzul then scored his seven straight goal and 12th of the season when he converted a penalty after being brought down by Jun Kobayashi in the 71st minute. 

The Eagles were heading towards their fifth away win in a row before Lee rescued a point for the home side.

Geylang International Head Coach said: “It was a very cruel way to end the match this way. But this is football and we just have to look at the positives and move on. Despite the result, I’m still very proud of the boys as they showed character and determination.”