The Lion City Sailors moved within touching distance of reclaiming the Singapore Premier League (SPL) title on Wednesday (30 April) with a vital 3-1 win over Young Lions at Our Tampines Hub.
The result means that the Sailors now need only two more victories from their remaining four SPL games to secure the league title.
Marking their 50th game of a gruelling campaign across all competitions, head coach Aleksandar Ranković opted for rotation – making four changes from the side that beat Albirex Niigata (S), with key figures Lennart Thy and Toni Datković rested, while skipper Hariss Harun was ruled out through suspension.
Despite the changes, the Sailors showed no signs of slowing down. After Bart Ramselaar’s thunderous opener was cancelled out by Jun Kobayashi, the home team rallied and restored their lead just before half-time through Shawal Anuar, before Maxime Lestienne sealed the win with a sublime second-half free-kick.
“The last few games of the season are always the toughest,” said Ranko after the game. “Credit to Young Lions – they gave us a good fight – but my players showed great resilience, and the most important thing is we got the three points and kept our momentum.”
Having suffered just two defeats in their last nine away matches, the Young Lions showed early signs of why they have been a tricky opponent on the road. Indeed, they carved out the game’s first opportunity in the 9th minute through a clever set piece that Kan Kobayashi latched onto with a fierce strike – only to be denied by a sharp low save from Izwan Mahbud.
Moments later, in the 12th minute, it was Bart who lit up the match with a moment of individual brilliance, as the Dutchman let fly from the edge of the box, sending a peach of a strike curling into the top left corner to give the Sailors the lead – and notch his 10th league goal of the season.
But the visitors hit back almost immediately. Just three minutes later, Jun Kobayashi capitalised on a loose ball in the box following a corner and lashed home the equaliser.
But the Sailors were unfazed by the setback, and turned up the pressure on the visitors, with both Maxime and Shawal forcing Young Lions goalkeeper Umayr Sujuandy into a flurry of saves.
The Sailors’ persistence finally paid off in the dying moments of first-half stoppage time when Bart slipped an inch-perfect pass into the path of Shawal, who showed composure to guide the ball past Umayr and restore the Sailors’ lead.
“They defended really deep – and rightly so – which left us more space between the lines,” explained Ranko. “We created a number of chances and honestly should have scored more, especially in the first half.”
Despite dominating possession and crafting several dangerous opportunities after the break, the Sailors were unable to extend their lead – that is, until Maxime stepped up in the 77th minute.
With a trademark swing of his left foot, he curled a delightful free kick over the Young Lions’ wall and into the net – ending a five-game run without a goal involvement, and giving the Sailors a crucial two-goal cushion they would hold onto for the rest of the match.
Now sitting 11 points clear of BG Tampines Rovers at the top of the SPL table albeit playing a game more, the Sailors are within touching distance of the title. But goalkeeper Izwan stressed the importance of staying focused.
“We’ve got a lot of experienced players in the squad, and everyone knows what’s required at this stage of the season,” said the Singapore international. “We’re taking it one game at a time. Our focus now is on the next match against Geylang, and we’ll give everything to secure the three points.”
The Sailors return to action on Sunday (4 May) against the Eagles at Our Tampines Hub, before heading west to face Tanjong Pagar United at Jurong East Stadium on Saturday (10 May) – with the SPL crown firmly within reach.
