It was a record-breaking night for the Lion City Sailors as they thrashed Adelaide United 5-0 in their Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two Matchday Four encounter at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Thursday (5 November) to tighten their grip on top spot in Group F.

A brace from Matthias Phaëton, alongside goals from Bailey Wright, Kyoga Nakamura and Ilhan Fandi, saw the Sailors make history with their biggest-ever margin of victory on the continental stage, which surpassed their previous best of a 4-0 win over Thailand’s Muangthong United in February 2025.

Head Coach Mark Jackson hailed the clinical edge displayed by his side as they recorded their seventh consecutive win in all competitions.

“To win a game of football in ACL Two is very difficult and to win it by scoring that many goals is a great achievement for the team. We had to be at our best and probably should have scored a few more. I asked the boys to be clinical tonight and in the end, getting that amount of goals in ACL Two is very pleasing,” he said at the post-match press conference.

Jackson made just one change from last week’s historic 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture, with Lennart Thy handed his first start of the season in place of Antonio Mance.

For the visitors, Ethan Alagich wore the captain’s armband in the absence of the unavailable Craig Goodwin, as proceedings finally got underway following a 90-minute delay due to the activation of the Lightning Warning System (LWS).

The Sailors entered the contest on the back of a commanding 4-0 league win over Balestier Khalsa, while Adelaide had suffered a demoralising 4-0 defeat to Perth Glory, and the contrast in confidence between the two sides was evident from the outset.

The Sailors faithful, who had patiently waited for kick-off, were rewarded just five minutes into the contest with a moment of individual brilliance from Matthias. Picking up the ball near the halfway line, the Guadeloupe international embarked on a stunning solo run, slicing through the Adelaide backline before emphatically finding the back of the net. 

It was Matthias’ second ACL Two goal of the campaign, following his winner against Tai Po FC in Hong Kong last month.

Lennart then tested Joshua Smits with a powerful effort in the ninth minute, before the Sailors doubled their advantage nine minutes later.

Giovanni Haag’s corner found its way to Toni Datković, whose fierce shot was parried by Smits into the path of Bailey. The Australian centre-back showed great awareness to pounce on the rebound and fire home.

It was Bailey’s first ACL Two goal since netting against Indonesia’s Persib Bandung in the 2024/25 campaign and his 18th overall for the club, as the Sailors’ latest centurion continued to deliver on the big stage.

The lightning-fast start also marked the first time the Sailors had raced into a two-goal lead inside 18 minutes in ACL Two since achieving the feat against Malaysia’s Selangor FC in October last year.

Airton Andrioli’s Adelaide side looked to respond, with Juan Muñiz denied by Victor Aznar in the 27th minute, before Lennart saw his header tipped over the crossbar by Smits at the other end.

But the Dutch goalkeeper could do little to prevent the Sailors from extending their lead in the 41st minute.

Bailey rose to win a header and found Lennart, whose deft flick fell perfectly into the path of Kyoga, and the midfielder made no mistake with a composed finish to open his Sailors goal account in his 27th appearance for the club. 

It was Kyoga’s first goal since joining the club in January, as the Sailors headed into the break with a three-goal cushion, a feat they last achieved in ACL Two during the 2024/25 knockout-stage tie against Thai side Muangthong United.

The commanding first-half display also underlined the Sailors’ ability to maintain their focus despite the lengthy delay to kick-off.

“We are getting used to these postponements before the game, but I’m pleased we could put on a show for our fans,” said Jackson. “It was a very long night, but I want to express my appreciation for their support throughout the game despite the conditions.”

Andrioli responded with a triple substitution at the start of the second half, while the Sailors were forced to replace Bailey with club captain Hariss Harun.

Nonetheless, the hosts picked up where they left off, with Smits called into action to deny Bart Ramselaar in the 49th minute before thwarting Matthias ten minutes later.

The Sailors continued to push forward in search of more goals, and Jackson’s decision to introduce Ilhan Fandi and Ryhan Stewart paid dividends in the 71st minute.

The two Singapore internationals combined to devastating effect, with Ryhan finding Ilhan inside the box. The forward saw his initial effort saved by Smits but reacted quickest to squeeze home the rebound.

Just four minutes later, the Sailors made it 5-0 as Bart teed up Matthias, who unleashed a low drive into the far corner beyond the reach of Smits to complete his brace. 

That was the 26-year-old’s seventh goal in 11 Sailors appearances as he continued his red-hot form since arriving in Singapore in the off-season. 

At the other end, the Sailors remained determined to preserve their sixth consecutive clean sheet, with Victor producing a fine save to deny Fabian Talladira from close range in the 83rd minute.

There was still time for Matthias to complete his hat-trick after Sotiri Phillis was penalised for handball, but the winger failed to convert the resulting spot kick in what proved to be the only blemish on an otherwise near-perfect night.

“I thought the previous match in Adelaide was also a good performance from us, although we didn’t score as many goals as we should have. We are getting closer to a complete performance and we need to keep learning and improving to achieve our targets this season,” said a pleased Jackson.

Indeed, the Sailors’ dominance was reflected in the statistics, with 11 of their 18 attempts on target, and the scoreline could well have been even more emphatic.

In Group F’s other fixture, a hat-trick from Bosnian forward Marin Jurina inspired BG Pathum United to a 4-1 victory over Tai Po, lifting the Thai League 1 side into second place in the standings.

“We maintain our top-of-the-table status with this win, but we have to continue to push in this tournament. Our team’s collective performance was amazing. We showed we are a really strong team tonight,” said Matthias, who was named Man of the Match.

Back-to-back victories, both home and away, over an Adelaide side with considerable continental pedigree, who reached the AFC Champions League final in 2008, will give the Sailors further belief as they approach the final two group-stage fixtures.

“Adelaide are a very competitive side and we had to work a lot to nullify their threats,” said Jackson. “I know the capabilities of the players in this squad. Our target is to win the ACL Two this season and we are really happy with where we want to be but also know that we can be much stronger.”

The Englishman also hailed the positive atmosphere within the squad as the Sailors head into a brief pause in their campaign due to the international break.

They will return to Singapore Premier League (SPL) action against early pacesetters Geylang International on Sunday (22 November), before travelling to Thailand for a crucial ACL Two showdown with BG Pathum just four days later.

And with the Sailors firing on all cylinders across both domestic and continental fronts, Jackson is relishing the challenge of taking the club to greater heights.

“It’s my job to take the Sailors to the next level whilst maintaining our domestic titles. I’m really enjoying working with these lads and I hope my experience as a head coach will continue to help the club.”