Caption: Yasutaka Yanagi of Albirex Niigata FC (S) gets away from Rosmin Hj Md Kamis during their S.League encounter last night at the Jurong East Stadium. Picture: Courtesy of Ortus Media
Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
DPMM FC were handed back-to-back defeats to start their S.League campaign after two late goals handed defending champions Albirex Niigata FC (S) a 2-0 victory last night at the Jurong East Stadium in Singapore.
It was the first time that the Brunei side lost their opening two matches of the season since Steve Kean took over in 2013.
In an equally contested first half, the visitors had the better chance and should have taken the lead just before the half hour mark after Billy Mehmet connected on skipper Rosmin Hj Md Kamis' ball into the box but his effort was denied by the left post.
Albirex almost went in front five minutes into the second half but DPMM FC goalkeeper Wardun Yussof did well to tip over Yasutaka Yanagi’s header off a corner.
The White Swans came close again from the ensuing corner but Takuya Akiyama’s header bounced off the left post.
Albirex broke the deadlock in the 74th minute after substitute Ryuya Motoda, who was only on the pitch for three minutes, headed home Naofumi Tanaka’s cross from the left.
The hosts then killed off the game three minutes from time after Ryota Nakai took down a long ball from their own half before slotting it past Wardun to maintain their perfect start of three straight wins.
Kean was disappointed but is ready to get back to work on the training ground.
“We created good chances and Billy (Mehmet) was unlucky in the first half with the header,” said Kean after the defeat as quoted on the S.League.
“The two goals we gave away were really poor. We had all the chances. If you don’t get goals, you don’t get the three points - as simple as that.
“We can’t concede five goals in two games but we have had similar bad runs in the past. It’s back to the training ground for us and we go again,” he added.
DPMM FC will next host Hougang United FC at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas on April 2.
