December 14, 2004

Tiger Cup Group A (Vietnam)

Singapore	6	2	Laos
Hasrin Jailani 7’ Indra Sahdan 19', 74’ Agu Casmir 45’, 92’			Phaphouvanin 22’  Chalana Luang Amath 72’

 

Indonesia	8	0	Cambodia
Ilham Jaya Kesuma 5’, 48’, 56’ Elie Aiboy 30’, 55’ Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto 74’, 76’ Ortizan Slaossa 90’

Singapore took a step nearer to their first Tiger Cup semi-final appearance since 1998 with a record-winning win over Laos in Hanoi

Hasrin Jailani, Indra Sahdan & Agu Casmir were on target for the 1998 Tiger Cup champions in the first period, while Laos reply came from Sengphet Thongphachan.  In the second half Indra & Casmir both scored their second of the night to complete the rout with while Laos goal came from skipper Chalana Luang-Amath & his third from the penalty spot in the competition.

All this ensure it was Singapore biggest win to date in the Tiger Cup.

At the start of the game, Singapore had one enforced change from the side which against Indonesia with Muhammed Ridhuan coming in at the back for Aide Iskander, suspended after picking up yellow cards against Vietnam & Indonesia.

The change was not felt as Singapore took the lead after just 7 minutes with Hasrin Jailani firing home from 25 yards after Agu Casmir’s low cross had only be half-cleared by the Laos defence.

The early goal failed to clam Singapore nerves & had the reverse effect for the next 15 or so minutes Laos, cheered on enthusiastically by a vocal crowd, had the Lions backline at sixes & sevens.

But it was during that period Singapore got their second as Singapore top striker Indra got his second of the competition with a free-kick that took a wicked deflection off the Laos wall to leave Siththalay Khanyavong flat-footed in the Laos goal.

Despite being two down, the Laos midfield continued to dominate & they soon scored one of their own as Phaphouvanin reacted quickest to a loose ball in the Singapore box to prod the ball home through Baihakki Khaizan’s leg & past Lionel Lewis in the Singapore goal after a Laos freekick pumped in was not deal with & deflected all around by the Singapore defence.

It was then Singapore, urged on from dug-out by their expressive coach Avramovic, upped the tempo after the goal &opted for their tried and tested long-ball game. 

It was from one such ball, from Hasrin, that Singapore restored the two-goal cushion thanks to an own goal from Sengphet Thongphachan. Under no pressure at all, the defender cushioned the ball back to the keeper but Siththalay had come well off his line to collect & could only watch in horror as ball angled past him & dribbled agonisingly into the goal. Then it was the time for Agu to end his goal drought on the stroke of half-time when he escaped the attentions of Kitsada Thongkhen & Anan Tapsouvanh to chest down Goh Tat Chuan’s pass & fire home from 12 yards out.

With the lead & possibility a talking to by Raddy Singapore came out firing as Daniel Bennett hit the outside of the post with a rasping drive from 25 yards &d Khanyavong did well to smother a low shot from Casmir

This time it was Laos who had been under pressure that got the goal against the run of play as Singapore substitute Noh Rahman wrestled Lamnoum Singto to the ground & Malaysian referee Ahmad Supian pointed to the spot. Chalana, the Laos skipper, stepped up to send the ball high into the Singapore net.

If Laos harboured hopes of finding a way back into the game, they were extinguished immediately when Indra bagged his second of the night.

Itimi Dickson, who enjoyed some good runs down the right half in the second half, drove the ball towards Casmir at the near post. Casmir possibility knowing Indra is behind him stepped over the ball, allowing his strike partner to pick his spot & smash the ball home. Agu Casmir then got his reward for that buildup as he scored his second of the night from the penalty spot after Anousone Khotsombuth had fouled Shahril Ishak. 

In the other Group A match, Indonesia thrashed Cambodia 8-0 & now is virtually uncatchable at the top with 10 points

Singapore team - Lionel Lewis (GK), Ridhuan Muhamad (Noh Rahman, 58’), S. Subramani (C), Baihakki Khaizan, Daniel Bennett, Itimi Dickson, Hasrin Jailani (Ishak Zainol, 68’), Goh Tat Chuan, Shahril Ishak, Indra Sahdan (Khairul Amri, 82’), Agu Casmir