Global knock Geylang out of Singapore Cup
GEYLANG INT'L | GLOBAL CEBU |
4 | 4 |
(Yuki Ichikawa 15, Victor Coto 45, Gabriel Quak 83-pen, Ricardo Sendra 90) | (Darryl Roberts 19, 39-pen, 53, Mario Clarino 74) |
With stoppage time beckoning and Geylang International trailing Global Cebu of the Philippines 4-3, the Eagles looked doomed.
But when Argentine midfielder Ricardo Sendra produced a dramatic equaliser in the dying seconds of the game, it sure looked to be Geylang's night.
Alas, when it came to penalties, it was Global who kept their composure to win the shoot-out 3-2 and secured the last quarter-final spot in the RHB Singapore Cup at the Jalan Besar Stadium last night.
Geylang became the third local team, after Warriors FC and Balestier Khalsa, to bow out of the cup competition.
But Geylang caretaker coach Noor Ali, who led the team in Hasrin Jailani's place, was proud of his players' display.
He said: "The performance from my boys was fantastic. They gave 100 per cent and we should have killed the game off in extra-time.
"Global are a very strong team, and they have speed and aggression. We are disappointed of course. However, we are looking to bring this performance into the S.League and move up the table."
Global coach Akbar Nawas was visibly relieved after the game.
He said: "It was a quality result and my heart was pumping fast throughout the whole game.
"We tried hard and this game today went in our favour. We are elated. It was depressing to concede in the last minute but, to still win on penalties, it was definitely amazing."
Geylang struck the first blow through a 15th-minute header by Yuki Ichikawa, but Global's Trinidadian forward Darryl Roberts' brace in the space of 24 minutes saw the foreign side snatch the advantage.
At the stroke of half-time, Geylang's Victor Coto made it 2-2. But Roberts secured his hat-trick of the night in the 53rd minute to restore Global's lead.
And when Mario Clarino made it 4-2 with 16 minutes to go, it looked all over for Geylang.
But the Eagles snatched two late goals through Gabriel Quak and Ricardo Sendra to take the game to extra time.
The 30 minutes of extra play finished goal-less, before the penalty drama began.
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