The Lion City Sailors Women’s Team kept up their relentless pursuit of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) title on Friday (15 May) night with an emphatic 8-0 victory over Geylang International at Choa Chu Kang Stadium to record their 12th win in 13 matches this season.

A hat-trick from the irrepressible Ami Takeuchi (pictured below), coupled with braces from Eri Kitagawa and Farah Nurzahirah, as well as Priscille Le Helloco’s first goal of the season, sealed a handsome victory over an Eagles side that had won seven of their previous 10 matches.

The result also saw the Sailors hit the 130-goal mark for the season, a testament to both their attacking firepower and the hard work being put in on the training ground.

Most crucially, the Sailors preserved their superior goal difference in the title race, boasting a +128 differential ahead of Albirex Jurong’s clash against BG Tampines Rovers on Saturday (16 May), with the latter currently on +115.

“We train really hard before every game to sharpen our attacking moves, so definitely how hard we train is reflected in the performance tonight,” reflected Priscille. “As for myself, I’m definitely happy to see some improvements in my game and my ability to help the team.

“But I know I still have a lot to improve on, especially my touches in the final third, and I’m going to keep working on that to contribute even more.”

With several past and present Singapore internationals such as Hamizah Talib, Farhanah Ruhaizat and former Sailor Sarah Zu’riqsha in their ranks, Geylang were always expected to pose a stern challenge. That proved true in a tightly-contested opening half-hour, with the Eagles restricting the Sailors to just a single goal.

The breakthrough arrived in the ninth minute, when Priscille popped up in the six-yard box to turn home Ami’s well-weighted pass after some excellent work down the left by Nur Ain Salleh.

In doing so, the French teenager became the Sailors’ 15th different scorer of the season.

Daniel Ong’s charges then struck twice in quick succession in the 30th and 31st minutes to finally break Geylang’s resistance, with Priscille heavily involved in both goals.

First, she applied a crucial touch after Eri’s inswinging corner caused chaos in the box, allowing Farah to flick home. Moments later, she showed great determination to chase down a loose clearance from Geylang goalkeeper Nurul Illyanis before cutting the ball back from the byline for Eri to finish.

The Sailors headed into the break 5-0 up, with Venetia Lim teeing up Farah for a tight-angled finish in the 38th minute before Ami converted from the spot four minutes later after Nurul fouled Ain in the box.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Geylang continuing to make life difficult for the Sailors despite the scoreline. Alongside captain Umairah Hamdan in central defence, 15-year-old Remi Ogawa once again impressed with an assured display.

“This was definitely not an easy game. Geylang has really strong players, especially Sarah Z. I’ve only trained with her before and never played against her, so I didn’t know what to expect,” shared Remi.

“Playing at centre-back is an important role and comes with pressure, so I’m very happy to have Coach Dan’s trust. Mai has also helped me so much with her ability to read the game.”

The Sailors grabbed their sixth goal in the 60th minute when Ami dusted herself off after being fouled by Nadia Nuraffendi in the area to convert her second penalty of the night. Farah then came close to completing her hat-trick a minute later, only to see her effort crash against the bar.

It was not until the 72nd minute that the Sailors added to their tally again, with Ami slipping Eri through on goal before the latter slalomed past her marker and fired home a low finish for her 26th goal of the season.

Ami then completed her hat-trick two minutes later, latching onto Nurhidayu Naszri’s ball over the top before thumping home her 47th goal of a sensational debut WPL campaign.

Geylang had a chance to pull one back in the 79th minute after Eri was adjudged to have handled the ball while attempting to block Naureen Qadriyah’s shot. Former Sailor Sarah had the chance to score against her old club, but her penalty struck the woodwork and bounced away to safety.

There was also a special moment late on for Alicia Geste (pictured below), who made her WPL debut at the age of 14 to become the 21st Girls Academy graduate to feature for the club in the top flight, further underlining the Sailors’ commitment to developing young talent.

“It’s wonderful to see us continually giving young players opportunities because they can learn so much from playing with class players like Eri and Ami,” said Priscille. “Personally, playing with them has helped me see a whole new level of football and think faster on the ball.

“We’re lucky to have them in the team, and their presence will continue to inspire more young players.”

The Sailors will now take a short break before resuming their WPL campaign in June, beginning with a potentially decisive clash against Albirex Jurong on 12 June.

For Remi, it is the squad’s relentless mentality that could prove decisive in the title race.

“No matter how many goals we score, Coach Dan always tells us to keep a positive mindset, keep pushing and get the best result possible for the team, even in the last few minutes,” she said.

“That mindset is what sets this team apart, and I’m confident we can carry it through until the end of the season.”