A brace from Shawal Anuar and a penalty save by Izwan Mahbud helped the Lion City Sailors secure a point against BG Tampines Rovers in a 2-2 draw in the Singapore Premier League (SPL)’s top-of-the-table fixture at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday (September 29) evening.
The Sailors forward both opened and finished the scoring on the night, with his stunning long-range strike in the 8th minute being a strong contender for goal of the season.
The draw maintains the Sailors’ three-point lead at the summit, and Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković, who made eight changes to his starting lineup, was proud of the players who made their opportunity count.
“It was a tough match against a good opponent,” said Ranko. “Of course, when you look at the starting lineup, there were many changes, including some positional adjustments.
“For example, (Haiqal) Pashia played as a right full-back, a position which he had never played before. I told my players I was proud of them — the way they performed and fought until the end. I believe it’s a well-deserved point.”
The Sailors came into this match with less than 72 hours of preparation time following their 5-0 away defeat to Công An Hà Nội (CAHN) FC in the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup on Thursday (26 September) night.
Izwan, Bailey Wright, and Toni Datković were the only players to retain their spots in the starting lineup from the defeat in Hanoi, while Bart Ramselaar and Lennart Thy were left out of the matchday squad for this crucial fixture.
In contrast, BG Tampines – winless in their previous five matches in all competitions – named what was arguably their strongest starting XI for the match.
But it was the Sailors who drew first blood in the 8th minute, and in some style.
Shah Shahiran’s effort was charged down by Shawal, who accelerated past the Stags midfielder to reach the rebound, before striking the bouncing ball with his weaker foot from just beyond the centre circle, sending it flying over Syazwan Buhari in the BG Tampines goal.
The goal – Shawal’s 10th in the SPL this season – got the Sailors fans off their seats, but the forward insisted after the game that he is more focused on the team’s overall performance, rather than his individual achievements.
“I always strive to contribute in any way I can on the pitch. I’m happy for my teammates. To be honest, I don’t keep track of my goals; once the final whistle blows, I tend to forget about them,” remarked Shawal, who was named Man of the Match.
BG Tampines came close to finding the equaliser in the 32nd minute, but Seia Kunori’s effort was cleared off the line by Bailey.
Eight minutes later, Gavin Lee’s men had another golden opportunity to level the score when they were awarded a penalty following a foul on Kyoga Nakamura by Bill Mamadou.
Up stepped BG Tampines’ top-scorer Boris Kopitović to take the penalty, but the Montenegrin’s spot-kick was well-saved by Izwan.
As such, the Sailors went into the dressing room with a slender 1-0 lead after an intriguing opening 45 minutes.
However, just four minutes after the restart, BG Tampines found themselves level – Glenn Kweh drove forward from the left before slipping a through pass for Faris Ramli, who slotted home from close range.
Just six minutes later, BG Tampines took the lead when Kunori’s shot deflected off Kopitović’s shoulder to wrong-foot a helpless Izwan in the Sailors goal.
Ranko’s immediate response to going behind was to bring on Maxime Lestienne, who nearly made an impact right away with two attempts that went over the bar, much to the frustration of the Sailors’ faithful.
At the other end of the pitch, Izwan was called into action once more, getting down smartly to tip away Kunori’s low attempt in the 84th minute to keep the Sailors in the game.
It was a stop that ultimately proved crucial for the Sailors, and Ranko was quick to praise the Singapore international for stepping up whenever he was called upon.
Ranko reflected, “I think the match could have gone either way today. But credit to our goalkeeper for stepping up to save a crucial penalty and making a few other good saves.
“When you consider the chances from both sides, particularly Maxime’s opportunities in the second half, those moments could have made a significant difference.”
Just three minutes later, the Sailors secured the crucial equaliser when Shawal leapt highest to head the ball just over the goal-line, despite Syazwan’s best efforts to stop it and the goal was eventually given after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check.
With 11 goals and 10 assists to his name, Shawal is the best-performing domestic player in the league this season and has already achieved career-best figures.
“Definitely, I will strive to assist or score even more goals to help my team make better decisions,” said the 33-year-old.
Given their recent fixture congestion and the tough run of games they have endured, claiming a draw against their closest title rivals was an acceptable result for the Sailors, according to Ranko.
“This draw was very important. We led 1-0, but they came back with two goals. We also saved a penalty in the first half. So, getting a draw keeps the points difference at three. That was our goal — not to lose this game,” he explained.
The Sailors will play their sixth match in 20 days when they travel to Thailand to face Port FC in the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two on Thursday (3 October).
