Eastern rivals share spoils in derby stalemate

Geylang International and Tampines Rovers played out a goalless 0-0 draw with neither side being able to break the tie at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) on Saturday evening.

The 0-0 draw also meant the Eagles snatched their first point from Tampines Rovers having lost all their three previous encounters this season.

With Tanjong Pagar defeating Young Lions 8-1, the Eagles also slipped from fourth to fifth place where they now trail the Jaguars by two points with three games remaining in the Singapore Premier League.

The Stags enjoyed the majority of possession in the first half but could not find the finishing touch despite being camped in the Eagles’ half for long periods.

The Eagles, who welcomed back Sime Zuzul and Fareez Farhan in the starting eleven, came back strongly after the break to dictate the play but were denied by the heroics of Syazwan Buhari, most notably in stoppage time when he pulled off a fine save from Joshua Pereira’s header that was destined for the bottom left corner.

The outcome of the match could have turned in the Eagles’ favour had Zuzul’s penalty appeal not been turned away after he was brought down in the six-yard box, also in injury time.

The Stags meanwhile had their chance to snatch all three points at the death but Boris Kopitovic’s pin-point header was well saved by Zaiful Nizam, who has been a figure of composure between the sticks throughout the match.

The Eagles will take on Tanjong Pagar in the next fixture on October 9 and head coach Noor Ali is well aware of how crucial a victory is needed for this team to finish in the top half of the league.

“Tonight’s draw against Tampines has just made our job tougher if we are going to finish in the top-four. We cannot control the results of the other matches and will just have to focus on our own abilities to really end the season on a positive note,” said Noor.

Ends.

Ends.

Ends.