The Lion City Sailors chalked up another important three points in the enthralling 2024/25 Singapore Premier League title race as they dispatched Balestier Khalsa 3-1 on Sunday (September 22) evening at the Bishan Stadium.

Abdul Rasaq Akeem opened the scoring for Aleksandar Ranković’s side, before Christopher van Huizen and Sergio Carmona Pérez registered their first goals of the season to secure the Sailors’ third successive win in all competitions.

With SPL title rivals BG Tampines Rovers suffering their first defeat of the season – a 3-2 loss at the hands of Brunei DPMM – in the night’s other fixture, the Sailors have now extended their lead at the top of the table to three points.

With the Sailors navigating a packed fixture schedule across three competitions, Ranko praised his team for their professional handling of the Bishan Derby.

“It was a very mature performance, especially after our AFC Champions League (ACL) Two game,” Ranko said. “You can expect the opponent to push harder, thinking we’re fatigued, but we managed the game really well. Perhaps we should have scored one more in the first half, but we controlled the second half effectively.”

The Sailors came into this fixture on a high, following a superb 2-0 win over China’s Zhejiang Professional on Thursday (September 19). However, Balestier were also on a good run of form, and were unbeaten in their last six league matches.

To keep things fresh, Ranko made several changes to his starting line-up, bringing in Carmona, Song Uiyoung, Shawal Anuar, Rasaq, and Haiqal Pashia — with Pashia handed his first start of the campaign.

It took just 12 minutes for the Sailors to break the deadlock in front of their home fans when Balestier goalkeeper Hafiz Ahmad fumbled Carmona’s cross; the loose ball fell to Shawal, who unselfishly squared it to Rasaq for an easy tap-in from close range.

That was the 23-year-old’s second league goal in as many matches as he continued his strong return to the fold after a year-long injury layoff.

Shawal himself could have got on the scoresheet a few minutes later when he found himself one-on-one with Hafiz, but he unfortunately scuffed his shot at the crucial moment.

In the 26th minute, more indecision within the Balestier backline cost the visitors again, as Fudhil I’yadh’s short back pass caught Hafiz out. Under pressure from Rasaq, Balestier failed to clear their lines, and the ball eventually fell to Chris, who calmly curled home from outside the area for his first goal for the club since August 2023.

Balestier tried to find a way back into the match, but the best they could muster in the opening 45 minutes were tame efforts from Kodai Tanaka and Ismaïl Sassi that Izwan Mahbud easily claimed.

Ranko brought out the big guns in the second half, with Hariss Harun and Maxime Lestienne coming on at half-time and the 59th minute respectively, and the Belgian almost made an immediate impact as he put the ball in the back of the net in the 63rd minute. His effort, however, was ruled out for offside.

Balestier halved the deficit in the 69th minute with centre-back Jordan Emaviwe sweeping the ball home from close range after an uncleared corner.

However, the Tigers’ joy would prove to be short lived, as a minute later Carmona restored the Sailors’ two-goal cushion, with the Spaniard drilling the ball into the bottom corner after being set up by Maxime.

It was the 20-year-old Madrid native’s first goal for the club since joining in April, and after the match, he revealed that it was dedicated to someone special.

“I’m so happy we won and that I could help the team. I’m really delighted to have scored my first goal for the club. My grandfather passed away in June, and I want to dedicate this goal to him,” said Carmona, who was named Man-of-the-Match.

The Sailors came close to extending their lead in second-half stoppage time when Maxime’s clever reverse pass found Hafiz Nor, but the 36-year-old’s effort was cleared off the line.

With three crucial SPL points secured, the Sailors will next turn their attention to an away trip to Hanoi, where they will face Công An Hà Nội FC on Thursday, 26 September, in Group B of the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup.

Ranko acknowledged that maintaining winning momentum at this stage of the season is crucial for keeping the pressure on their SPL rivals, even as they strive to make Singapore proud on the international stage.

He said, “It’s very important for us to keep winning game after game. Now we have to prepare for the trip to Vietnam, followed by Tampines in the SPL and then ACL Two again (away against Port FC). Fortunately, the guys know what to do, how to play, and the system we are using. We are looking forward to it, and I’m very happy that nobody got injured.”