TIGER BEER SINGAPORE CUP SOCCER

Tan repays coach Tohari's faith with a hat-trick against Rams

By PETER SIOW

STEVEN TAN mesmerised the home fans with a second hat-trick to consolidate Tanjong Pagar United's position at the top of Group B in the Tiger Beer Singapore Cup at Queenstown Stadium last night.

His three goals, which made him the leading local top scorer with 15, and Nicodeme Boucher's opening strike gave Tanjong Pagar a crushing 4-0 win over Woodlands Wellington.

It was the Jaguars' second big win in four days -- they also tore apart Balestier Central 4-1 last Saturday.

Boucher, Tanjong Pagar's lanky striker, gave Woodlands' backline a torrid time, in particular Benjamin Dixon.

Though he put his 1.97-metre height to superb use, it was the sharpness of his mind and feet that bothered Woodlands more.

After Mohamed Nor Zadi's early threat for the Rams of Woodlands, Boucher left his mark in the 19th minute. He merely stuck out his foot to return the ball into goal after goalkeeper E. Maaran had palmed away Vlado Bozinoski's diagonal shot.

Once Tanjong Pagar sensed blood, it wanted more. The memory of the 1-2 loss at the Rams' homeground in the first round was never far from its mind.

And so Boucher, Tan and Azhar Salleh kept Maaran on his toes whenever they had a look at goal.

But Tan was not to be denied. His eye for goal and rocket-like speed carried him behind the defence in the 44th minute and injury time which raised the decibels at the Jaguars' den.

In the process, he exposed Malek Awab and Ishak Saad's lack of movement. At 37, the two Woodlands stalwarts showed evidence of physical erosion.

Tan, who carved out his first hat-trick in the S-League, thrust himself into the heat of action once more in the 51st minute. Again he profited from his tireless running.

Said Tanjong Pagar coach Tohari Paijan: "Since I became coach, I've played Steven in the starting 11 in the past four matches of the Singapore Cup. "And he has not disappointed me at all. I believe he is now the leading local top scorer with 15 goals.

"I've thrown Steven's super-sub tag into the dustbin for good."

Tanjong Pagar manager Abol Fazl was equally colourful with his language.

He said: "Before the match, the Rams were saying that they would use their horns on our butts.

"But it looks now that they have used their horns wrongly and kicked their own butts instead."