S-League: Stags celebrate 2nd straight title after DPMM shock defeat
Purchase this article for republication
Buy SPH photos-
A season of hard work culminated in a night of glory for Tampines Rovers as they celebrated with the coveted S-League trophy and the winners' prize of $150,000 at Jalan Besar Stadium yesterday. -- ST PHOTOS: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN
- ST PHOTOS: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN
-
Goal-scorer Fahrudin Mustafic (left) and Harimau Muda's Irfan Fazail challenging for the ball. -- ST PHOTO
A season of hard work culminated in a night of glory for Tampines Rovers as they celebrated with the coveted S-League trophy and the winners' prize of $150,000 at Jalan Besar Stadium yesterday. -- ST PHOTOS: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN
Goal-scorer Fahrudin Mustafic (left) and Harimau Muda's Irfan Fazail challenging for the ball. -- ST PHOTO
Tampines Rovers 1
Harimau Muda 0
There were no wild celebrations at the final whistle, only yellow-clad Tampines Rovers players falling to their knees in relief.
After a 24-game campaign, they had finally done it - becoming only the fourth team (after the 97-98 and 06-09 Warriors and the 04-05 Stags) to seal back-to-back successes in the Great Eastern-YEO'S S-League.
Going into last night's title decider at Jalan Besar, Tay Peng Kee's side knew that a win would be enough to clinch the title. And they duly delivered, with a 1-0 victory over Malaysia's Harimau Muda thanks to Fahrudin Mustafic's 41st-minute penalty.
Background story
FINAL WORDS
'The boys deserved it, they’ve played well. Now, we have to go for a third straight title.'
– Tampines Rovers chairman Teo Hock Seng
'This has capped my best season; I don’t think I’ll have a better season than this.'
– Tampines forward Jamil Ali, who bagged his fourth winners’ medal
'When we found out the result at Tampines at half-time, we were down. My players did their best, but were under pressure to do more.'
– DPMM coach Vjeran Simunic
'Everything we worked on in training, worked out for us tonight. Every player was superb.'
– Balestier coach Darren Stewart
