The ship has likely sailed for Sailors

For 93 minutes, Lion City Sailors were the sharper and tighter team in last night's top-of-the-table clash against defending champions Albirex Niigata at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

They held a deserved 1-0 lead and looked on course to seize the title initiative at the business end of this year's Singapore Premier League (SPL). But, in the final minute of added time, they felt the full brunt of football cruelty.

Albirex left-back Yu Tokiwa's hopeful punt in the box was nodded by Shuya Yamashita into the path of Ryoya Taniguchi, who headed in a last-gasp equaliser off Sailors defender Hariss Harun, the game's standout performer.

The hosts collapsed on the pitch in disappointment, knowing the fate of the league championship is no longer in their hands.

The 1-1 draw preserved Albirex's five-point lead, as they moved up to 44 points from 19 games.

The Sailors have a game in hand but if the Japanese side win their remaining two matches, they will clinch their fifth SPL title in six seasons.

Albirex coach Keiji Shigetomi was pleased with the result, if not the display in front of a sold-out crowd of 974 fans.

He said: "Our final ball was not good, my young players' inexperience showed today. However, I am happy my boys kept going and got a point in the end.

"Today's game is history and our attention will turn to Tampines to get the necessary three points and we will take it one game at a time."

Even without their injured top scorer Stipe Plazibat and with $2.9 million Brazilian midfielder Diego Lopes on the bench yesterday, the Sailors delivered their most accomplished performance since South Korean coach Kim Do-hoon's first game in charge in July.

They started brightly amid a boisterous atmosphere, repeatedly causing the White Swans problems on the right flank and took the lead in the 23rd minute.

Albirex thought they had earned a penalty after Ong Yu En tumbled under the attention of Nur Adam Abdullah. Instead, from the resulting goal kick, the ball was quickly moved upfield to Faris Ramli, whose square pass was slotted in by Haiqal Pashia.

The home side should have doubled their lead in the 41st minute from a similar move - only for Haiqal to fire wide in front of a gaping goal.

The Sailors continued to press for a second goal and Gabriel Quak saw his effort come off the bar in the 49th minute, while the 1.9m Brazilian defender Jorge Fellipe was stretchered off with an ankle injury three minutes later.

His departure proved significant. His replacement, the 1.81m Amirul Adli, was outjumped by Yamashita in the dying seconds as Albirex - who joined the SPL in 2004 and won their first title in 2016 - snatched a precious point.

The Sailors will be without imports Fellipe and Plazibat for their last three matches, and know nothing less than three wins will be acceptable.

They face Tampines Rovers on Tuesday, Geylang International (Sept 26) and Balestier Khalsa (Oct 2) and need Albirex to drop points against the Stags (Sept 24) or Tanjong Pagar United (Oct 2).

Kim was defiant in defeat, saying: "We did really well containing a very disciplined and constantly threatening Albirex side until the end.

"We need to remain optimistic and do whatever we can in our control, which is to ensure that we give our all in the remaining games. The season and the title race aren't over yet."