Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
DPMM FC ended their Singapore Premier League in dramatic fashion after edging Hougang United FC in a thrilling 5-4 win last night.
The result means that Tampines, who drew 1-1 against Young Lions, finished second while the Cheetahs settled for third - their best ever finish in the competition.
The duo of Andrei Varankou and Adi Said each bagged a brace while Ak Fakharazzi Pg Hassan netted the other for the newly crowned champions at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas.
Shahfiq Ghani scored a second half hat-trick for the Cheetahs while Fazrul Nawaz netted a consolation at the death.
The hosts got off to a great start as they grabbed the lead in the seventh minute after Varankou headed home Najib Hj Tarif’s cross from the left.
They almost doubled their lead in the 20th minute after Azwan Ali Rahman’s cross came off the upright. It then ricocheted off his brother Azizi Ali only for it to bounce off the same post.
Varankou netted his second in the 38th minute, bringing his tally to 21 goals in the competition, off another header with Azizi Ali the provide.
Hougang came close to halving the deficit just before the halftime whistle but Shahfiq’s freekick from the edge of the box was saved by Wardun Yussof in between the DPMM FC sticks.
Things were made difficult in the second half with the heavy rain.
Hougang got back in the game with Shahfiq scoring a screamer from outside the box in the 56th minute.
They moved forward again immediately and Wardun had to deny Nazrul Nazari.
DPMM FC rebuilt a two-goal cushion on the hour mark off a counter attack with Varankou putting the ball across goal for Adi to tap in - his first touch of the game just coming on moments earlier.
Charlie Clough made a rare mistake to give the ball away in their own half resulting in an unmarked Shahfiq to score his second of the game four minutes later.
DPMM FC had then several chances in quick succession. Adi first had his strike from the edge of the box parried by Hougang goalkeeper RIdhuan Barudin at the other end.
Varankou fired just wide on the turn minutes later before Adi tired to chip the keeper but to no avail.
In turn, the visitors were awarded a penalty at the other end after Wardun caught Nazrul in the 71st minute.
Shahfiq then made no mistake from 12 yards out for his hat-trick - the second Hougang player to do so in Brunei since 2015 S.League Player of the Year Fumiya Kogure in Sept 2017.
Despite Hougang having the momentum, Ridhuan made a shocker and gifted the ball to Adi allowing the Bruneian to fire past him to make it 4-3.
DPMM FC ensured that they would end their season with a win after good work by Razimie to find an unmarked Ak Fakharazzi at the edge of the six-yard box to score three minutes from time.
The Brunei side did concede another with Fazrul scoring a consolation off a corner right at the death.
