Just days after returning from Adelaide, a much-changed Lion City Sailors side picked up where they left off with a commanding 4-0 victory over Balestier Khalsa in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) at the Bishan Stadium on Sunday (1 November).

Goals from Shawal Anuar, Antonio Mance, Matthias Phaëton and Lennart Thy saw the Sailors become the first team to surpass the 20-goal mark in the league this season, as they put in a dominant display in which they controlled proceedings from start to finish.

It was the Sailors’ sixth consecutive win in all competitions — a run that has included five clean sheets — as they continued to find their rhythm under Head Coach Mark Jackson.

With Geylang International held by Tampines Rovers to a 0-0 draw in a concurrent game, the Sailors climbed to second in the SPL table after five matches played – just a point behind the Eagles but with a game in hand.

“We made some changes today, and the players who have had fewer minutes this season came in and showed that they understand what we want from them and can fit into the team,” said Jackson. “We need to be able to rely on everyone in the squad, especially when we are competing in multiple competitions, and there were plenty of positive signs today.

“It’s a collective effort from all the coaches and players. Everyone has been receptive to new ideas and the way we want to play, and they are improving with every game.”

With a short turnaround between fixtures, Jackson made nine changes to the starting XI that beat Adelaide United, fielding eight local players, including Hami Syahin, Lionel Tan and Glenn Kweh.

Wearing their blue away kit for the first time this season, the Sailors wasted little time asserting themselves. They fired an early warning in the 12th minute when Ryhan Stewart laid the ball off for Farhan Zulkifli to finish first-time from close range, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside against Antonio in the build-up.

The Croatian forward then had a chance of his own five minutes later after Ryhan’s pressing forced Tajeli Salamat into a mistake, but his effort was deflected over the bar.

But the visitors’ sustained pressure eventually paid off on the half-hour mark. Song Uiyoung turned sharply in midfield before finding Farhan, who slipped a perfectly weighted pass through for Shawal to break the deadlock.

“I’m always happy to get the opportunity to play, especially in a squad with so much quality, but there is always room for improvement,” said Farhan, who was named Man of the Match after registering his first league assist of the season. “Whenever I’m given the chance, I just want to give my 100% and help the team as much as possible.”

Just seven minutes later, Azim Akbar fouled Glenn in the box, and Antonio made no mistake from the subsequent penalty to double the Sailors’ lead.

Jackson then replaced both starting foreign outfield players at the break, bringing on Toni Datković and Lennart for Bailey Wright and Antonio respectively. It marked Lennart’s first SPL appearance since May.

The two substitutes combined in the 52nd minute when Toni played a ball in behind for Lennart, whose effort was parried away by Balestier goalkeeper Mustapić. Hariss Harun came close from the resulting corner, as he headed narrowly over the crossbar.

With the return Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) Two fixture against Adelaide looming, Jackson continued to make full use of his squad by introducing Giovanni Haag, Diogo Costa, and Matthias in the 66th minute.

Lennart went close to adding a third in the 75th minute when a loose ball fell to him inside the box, but the German striker uncharacteristically blazed his close-range effort wide.

The Sailors did extend their lead four minutes later through the in-form Matthias. Gio showed great strength to win possession in midfield before threading a pass through to the forward, who calmly finished past Mustapić from a tight angle for his fifth goal in 10 Sailors appearances.

Five minutes later, Matthias turned provider, slipping in Lennart to delicately dink the ball over Mustapić with a finish reminiscent of his midweek goal against Adelaide.

While the Sailors impressed going forward, they were just as assured at the back, cutting out dangerous balls in behind to keep Balestier’s sporadic counter-attacks at bay. Their defensive solidity also secured a first clean sheet of the season for Ivan Sušak, who was last season’s SPL Golden Glove winner.

“All the players who came into the team tonight stepped up, and the result showed that,” said Jackson at full-time. “However, we could have made the game more comfortable for ourselves, as we created plenty of chances but need to be more clinical in front of goal.

“That said, the fact that we are creating chances is a positive. I know that if we keep working on our finishing, we will get it right, and it’s something we will continue to focus on.

“I’m proud of the team tonight, especially given that it was a tough pitch to play on and we had a lot of travel leading up to the game. We coped very well, and it was also important for some players to get valuable minutes under their belts today.”

Attention now turns to Thursday’s (5 November) ACL Two meeting with Adelaide at Jalan Besar Stadium. A positive result would strengthen the Sailors’ position in the race to qualify from the group, and Jackson is already focused on preparing his side for the encounter.

“The players are very professional in how they approach their recovery, and we also have a fantastic group of staff behind us to ensure all the necessary recovery protocols are followed,” he said. “We will stick to those routines as we always do, recover quickly, and prepare to the best of our abilities.”