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SINGAPORE \u2013 On a muggy night, Hougang United\u2019s Thai contingent and a dash of Singaporean spice proved too hot to handle as they kicked off their Singapore Cup campaign with an entertaining 3-2 win over Tanjong Pagar United at the Jurong East Stadium on Nov 7.<\/p>\n
That, despite playing with a numerical disadvantage for the third time this season.<\/p>\n
Cheetahs\u2019 new interim head coach Pannarai Pansiri said: \u201cI\u2019m very proud of all the players, not just the Thais, but also the other imports and local players.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe showed good discipline after going down to 10 men, and everyone showed passion and fought hard. We tried to get more possession and, when we were defending, everyone was behind the ball and patient to go for the counter-attack.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want everyone to play good football and put in a lot of effort to try and play entertaining football to attract more supporters.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was the 28-year-old Thai\u2019s second game in charge of Hougang, after replacing Robert Eziakor for the late 2-1 Singapore Premier League (SPL) defeat by BG Tampines Rovers on Oct 27.<\/p>\n
They looked like an improved side at both ends of the pitch. Sitting back and counter-attacking down the wings, their defensive block rarely gave up space.<\/p>\n
They also looked far more clinical up front than before, and could well have matched their tally of four goals in their previous five matches in just one outing.<\/p>\n
Their Thai imports served notice of their intentions after just five minutes, when Settawut Wongsai\u2019s header off Chonlawit Kanuengkid\u2019s cross was pushed onto the bar by Kenji Rusydi.<\/p>\n
But the hosts\u2019 defence were caught napping when Singaporean winger Farhan Zulkifli, probably the shortest player on the pitch at 1.62m, was left unmarked to knock in Yotsakon Burapha\u2019s cross in the 11th minute with the first headed goal of his professional career.<\/p>\n
Hougang then extended their lead eight minutes later when Yuma Suwa did well to outmuscle and outsprint Lim Hyun-sub before squaring for Settawut to tap in. <\/p>\n
Tanjong Pagar were handed a lifeline when Suwa was sent off for elbowing Faizal Roslan seven minutes after the restart.<\/p>\n
But it was Hougang who scored the third when Farhan slipped Settawut through to complete his brace in the 64th minute, with the latter celebrating with some dubious hip thrusts.<\/p>\n
The Jaguars were not without their chances as they hit the bar twice \u2013 first through Lim in the 40th minute and then Naqiuddin Eunos in the 69th minute.<\/p>\n
They continued to wreak havoc with Aaron Evans\u2019 long throws, one of which was handled inside the box by Huzaifah Aziz in the 77th minute. It resulted in Youssef Ezzejjari scoring from the spot six minutes later after a lengthy video review.<\/p>\n
Bruno Dybal then got the home fans in a frenzy when his cross from the left sailed over Ridhuan Barudin in the 89th minute to set up a grandstand finish.<\/p>\n
However, they could not find an equaliser in 11 minutes of added time as Zenivio Mota dragged a shot wide after a solo effort and Lim headed over from a late corner.<\/p>\n
Man of the Match Farhan hopes the win will kickstart their season, as they fight for the top two spots among five teams in a single round-robin format to join last season\u2019s champions Lion City Sailors and finalists Tampines in the semi-finals.<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old said: \u201cWe are very pleased to get the three points and make a good start to the Cup. We followed the game plan the coach has set up for us.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe allows the attackers to play freely and enjoy our football, which suits me… and I feel we will get better from here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Tanjong Pagar coach Noh Alam Shah admitted \u201csome things were broken\u201d as he unleashed the hairdryer treatment in the dressing room at half-time.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWe never turned up in the first half. We showed resilience in the end but it\u2019s not enough, we have to be ready from the start.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s simple logic. Sometimes we play too much with possession and control, we forget to make the forward runs and put the ball into the box. Football is all about scoring, you don\u2019t need 10, 20 touches.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the battle of two big cats struggling in the bottom half of the SPL, Hougang showed they have what it takes to get fans purring when their players share the offensive and defensive duties.<\/p>\n
By comparison, Tanjong Pagar have yet to overcome their over-reliance on Ezzejjari (five goals) and Dybal (four), who are their team\u2019s only scorers after seven games. They are now on the verge of Cup elimination after consecutive losses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n