After scoring so many penalties, it's deja vu for Steven

By TAY CHENG KHOON

For the second time in as many games, Steven Tan scored the winning goal to push Tanjong Pager United to the top of the Tiger Beer S-League table.

On a night when the score should have read at least 6-6, Tan's late strike in the 89th minute gave the Jaguars a 1-0 win over luckless Woodlands Wellington at the Woodlands Stadium.

But do not call Tan a super-sub. For, after five years living with that tag, he is fast getting quite fed up with it.

"Don't get me wrong," said the winger, who is also a super-sub with the national side. "I'm happy that the team won.

"Also, as a professional, I know that I have to do what the coach wants and that it is all for the better of the side.

"He makes the call. But, as a professional, I'm quite disappointed that, at 27, I am still not starting a match.

"If nothing else, if affects my match bonuses."

Both the teams he plays for pay bigger win-incentives to players who are in the starting XI than those who come on as substitutes.

But Tan soon cheered up and described his all-important goal: "I was making a dash for goal when I was sandwiched by Malek Awab and Ishak Saad. One of them then brought me down."

Substitute goalkeeper E. Maaran took his own time settling down for the penalty kick. But Tan remained cool and picked his spot.

As he said later: "After taking so many penalties, I don't think such gamesmanship will affect me."

Jaguars coach Robert Alberts was a happy man. He had eight players in sick bay on Wednesday but was able to count on a bench full of able substitutes last night.

Apart from Tan, there were also ex-internationals Nahar Daud and Lee Man Hon on call. And that was vital, for the Rams, who had threatened early, tired faster, more noticeable after the hour when its veteran backline panicked against the swift Jaguars.

Tanjong Pagar struggled at the start when Woodlands' new signing Nicholas Peverell showed touches of class. However, the 25-year-old lost steam showed that he needed more time to acclimatise to the weather.

But if the Rams should have been at least a couple ahead in the first period, the Jaguars should have equalised with just as many.