BG Tampines Rovers go top of SPL after thrashing Tanjong Pagar United

SINGAPORE – They had already dropped points to bottom-half sides Brunei DPMM, Hougang United and Young Lions in the nine-team Singapore Premier League (SPL) in a madcap second round.

But BG Tampines Rovers showed they have learnt their lesson with a comprehensive 5-0 win over Tanjong Pagar United at Jalan Besar Stadium on Nov 22.

After the rout, the Stags moved top of the table with 42 points from 20 matches, three points clear of Lion City Sailors, who have played three fewer games. At the other end, the Jaguars remain rooted to the bottom with eight points from 19 games.

Post-match, Tampines coach Gavin Lee addressed their recent six-game winless run in which they dropped 14 points, telling The Straits Times: “It’s a collective effort from the coaching team to the players, and perhaps we let ourselves go a little bit.

“We were chasing the Sailors in the first round and we were the ones being hunted in the second round. These are the lessons we take and move forward again. If we do get into a similar position, we should know how to deal with that a lot better.”

Lee’s team certainly looked a well-drilled side as they took control from the start against the Jaguars and broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when Boris Kopitovic delightfully flicked Milos Zlatkovic’s pass behind him for Faris Ramli to sneak in behind Syed Akmal and volley into the bottom corner with his right foot.

They doubled their lead five minutes later through Seia Kunori’s deflected shot.

The hosts did not take their foot off the pedal and scored a minute after the restart through Glenn Kweh, who improvised with an acrobatic effort off Jared Gallagher’s cross.

Club topscorer Kopitovic then got his 15th and 16th goals of the season when he latched on to Faris’ cross to produce a lovely turn and volley in the 54th minute, before wrapping up the scoring with an 86th-minute penalty after Taufik Suparno was upended by custodian Fashah Iskandar.

Kopitovic said: “We respect everyone but we prepared very well during the international break, and we have so much quality in attack.

“It’s nice to finish the year on top of the league, and we will give everything to win our upcoming AFC Champions League 2 games against Bangkok United (at home on Nov 27) and Lee Man (away on Dec 4).”

Meanwhile, chances were at a premium for bottom side Tanjong Pagar, who came closest to scoring through Tomoki Wada. He got on the end of a 57th-minute free kick, but Syazwan Buhari was brave to snuff out the shot, before the Tampines goalkeeper proved equal to the Japanese forward’s 70th-minute header.

Hyrizan Jufri, who ended his stint as Jaguars’ interim head coach with six straight losses since replacing Hasrin Jailani on Sept 1, will take a break and spend time with his family after his four-month contract runs out.

The 53-year-old said: “I’m thankful for the opportunity. It’s been a humbling roller-coaster ride.

“Whoever is the next coach will need help in terms of signing new players, especially foreigners for the defence. Be it in training or during the game, mentality is key. Football is a team game, so if only two or three players have the right mentality, it will be very difficult for the team to do well.”

Analysis

When their attackers are on song, Tampines remain the Sailors’ biggest title threat, and the resounding win helps improve their goal difference and gives them a psychological boost.

The Jaguars, on the other hand, have been woeful and need to turn things around soon, if they do not want to lose sight of the eighth-placed Young Lions, who are ahead of them by 10 points with one game in hand.