A call for consistency
Coach Hasrin wants Eagles to cut out mistakes as they make a late charge for third spot
GEYLANG INTERNATIONAL v BALESTIER KHALSA
(Tonight, 7.30pm, Bedok Stadium)
In their last match, Geylang International were outmatched by the Garena Young Lions in the first half, before turning on their game in the second period to score a 2-0 win.
The 90 minutes played offered a microcosm of the Eagles' main issue in their late charge towards a third-placed finish in the Great Eastern-Yeo's S.League - consistency, and the lack thereof.
With five goals, playmaker Carlos Delgado is the team's topscorer in the competition, with striker Sahil Suhaimi having two to his name.
Including Young Lions custodian Fashah Iskandar's own-goal in their 2-0 loss to Geylang last Thursday, the seven goals the Bedok-based outfit have scored in the last five matches all came from different players.
In defence, the Eagles have also blown hot and cold, with individual errors sometimes costing them precious points.
Geylang coach Hasrin Jailani (above) said: "I don't like to talk about individual players, but a striker's job is to score as many as possible, although at the end of the day, it's the team's responsibility as well.
"A lot of the goals we conceded were from individual mistakes, loss of concentration here and there, and we need to eliminate them. We need to do better."
Geylang, now sixth among nine teams, will need to step up a couple of gears in their final five games if they want to finish the season in third place, which potentially will earn them an Asian Football Confederation Cup place.
Hasrin's men are on 25 points from 19 matches, while third-placed Brunei DPMM have 29 points from the same number of games.
In between them are Hougang United and Home United, who are among the five teams that Geylang will face in their run-in to the end of the season.
"Right now, it's all about the three points. If we play well and lose, there is no point," the former Singapore international said.
"I'd take an ugly win over a good performance but a loss... we are going to meet teams like Hougang and Home who are also going for that third placing, and we just have to take things one at a time and keep on getting the points."
First up though are Balestier Khalsa, who have been struggling this season and are just above cellar-dwellers Young Lions, with 14 points.
The Eagles will host the Tigers at the Bedok Stadium tonight, and Hasrin is in no mood to be complacent.
"Balestier may be below us in the league table but they have a good team and play to their strengths," he said.
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