Scorers; Feroz assist by Fu Lin Syah Jnr assist by Kathir
MOM; Shy and Omar
Al Caliph F.C got the title defense off to a nervy start, seeing off marine devils to a narrow 2-1 victory.
Despite the glorious weather, the pitch was in dodgy condition but this didn't hamper the men in white from getting their early passing rhythm going. Good possession in their own half wasn't enough to find a much needed early goal. Play often broke down in the opponents half and against the run of play, Marine Devils struck first.
A moment of miscommunication gifted possession to the Marine Devils striker who made no mistake, slotting the ball into an almost unguarded net from the edge of the penalty box. This gave Al Caliph the kick that was much needed and from then on it was all one way traffic. Kathir wasted a glorious opportunity to equalize. Latching onto a good flick from Zamri, he shot straight at the keeper with the whole goalpost at his mercy. Set pieces were then to follow with Yat going close with rasping efforts from outside the box. Al Caliph's best chance of the half fell to Feroz who's towering header from a corner was cleared off the line. The resulting scramble was desperately cleared by the Marine Devils backline. Somehow, the score remained 1-0 at half time.
Coach Ali demanded an improved performance in the second half and that's exactly what followed. Marine Devils started the second half the same way they ended the first. They were contented to park the bus and soak in as much pressure as possible. This invited wave after wave of Al Caliph attacks but Marine Devils held firm and restricted Al Caliph mostly to attempts from outside the box. Yat and Shah were doing all they could to try and breach the Marine Devils' goal, firing in shot after shot. And the constant pressure finally paid.
A beautiful corner from Fu Lin was met with a thunderous header from Feroz. This time, there was nothing the Marine Devils goalkeeper could do to prevent the deserved equalizer. As Al Caliph pushed on for the all important winning goal, they often left huge gaps in the defense and midfield. This was almost exploited barring some spectacular saves from Syai and some rugged defending from the back four. As the game wore on, it seemed like it would take a moment of magic to get the winning goal as the Marine Devils defense stood firm. Syah went close, curing an effort onto the upright from close range.
Over the years, many players have come and gone to Al Caliph but, the one thing that has remained constant is the undying fighting spirit and belief of the group.
Pressure finally paid. A driven corner from Kathir was met by Shah, who rose above all to smash home an unstoppable header. This was enough to seal the victory for the defending champions as they held onto possession smartly to see out the remaining 5 minutes of the game.
Relief all around the camp as Al Caliph sneaked home the important 3 points to ensure the new campaign gets off to a winning start. Players noted that there was definitely much room for improvement as this season is expected to be tough one with many new competitive teams in the league. Moving forward, coach Ali reiterated the need to be intelligent with possession and adapt quickly to opponents.
At the post match discussion, Dino Maritime was also confirmed as the proud sponsor of Al Caliph FC for a third season running. The boys are truly grateful for having a sponsor who has been extremely supportive and been there for the team despite rain or shine.
By Kathir