Central Park

4

vs

Deportivo

0

Central Park began a new era in the team’s history with new management, and they got the perfect start to the new season. A convincing victory against Deportivo, a side which they demolished in the last game of last season was an ideal way to build the campaign upon. Isaac led the line after a lengthy lay off, while trialists Steve and Sufhian came in to boost the numbers.

The Sharks were quickly closed down in the opening exchanges and were fortunate not to go behind after some early scares. Mizan tipped 2 goal-bound shots round the posts and made a few catches to keep Central Park in the game. Deportivo however were responsible for gifting the Sharks the lead early on. Harold’s pass was intercepted by a Depor defender, who hurriedly made a back pass to his keeper. The custodian however, was already off his line, and was beaten by the over hit pass.

The lead gave Central Park the confidence it needed and just after the half hour mark, Jason received the ball in midfield and laid it off to the excellent Brendan. His cross was inch-perfect and found Harold at the far post, who made no mistake from inside the 6-yard box. Deportivo began to falter badly in defence, and Harold’s defence splitting pass found Jason lurking at the edge of the area. He was closed down quickly but managed to get his shot away, striking the keeper in the chest.

After the restart, Deportivo found their rhythm again and posed a greater goal-threat. They almost found the back of the net a few times, but for stout defending by Zhuoneng, Vincent and Vince. Trialist Steve, while lacking in pace, made up for it with his physical presence and he began to win the aerial battles upfront. He controlled a punt, and with the over-zealous Depor right-back caught out of position, set Harold free down the left flank. The winger burst into the box and angled his shot into the far post. At 3 goals down, Deportivo had nothing to lose and went all-out to attack. Their shots however could not find the target, and they were constantly caught on the counter by Central Park. Harold had further surges down the left and picked Jason out in the box, but the forward could not make the chances count. Charlson was having an excellent outing in midfield, and beat his marker down the right flank. His run saw him reach the byline, and send in a perfect cross which eluded the goalkeeper. Isaac then applied the simplest of finishes for the fourth goal

Despite clearly lacking in match fitness, Central Park showed much character in grinding out the win. While the management has changed, the team spirit and their diligent attitude have not and hopefully this will stand them in good stead for a tough season to come.

Central Park

7

vs

Deportivo Singapura

4

Central Park scored 7 goals for the second consecutive game, in what could be one of the highest scoring games the Sharks have ever played in. It was a historical game for different reasons, as it was the manager’s last match in charge before new management took over. This was also coupled with him scoring an unlikely goal. Sharks old boys Muzz, Anuar and Steven also made a return for this testimonial game.

The game began amidst gloomy conditions, with the sun just briefly peeking through the clouds then disappearing again for the rest of the afternoon. The Sharks showed a glimpse of what was to come as early as the first minute, when Heng Li was put through down the left by Harold. The veteran forward, who may very well have played his last game for Central Park, shot straight at the keeper. The resulting corner, taken by Harold, was met by Graeme at the far post, who guided the ball past the keeper and into the bottom corner. Central Park did not have to wait long for the second. Ryan got possession just outside the box, and beating one defender, blasted a shot into the far post. The third came shortly after when Chris latched on to a loose high ball in the box, looping a header over the keeper.

With the Sharks three goals up early on, some complacency crept into their play. Deportivo were finding more space in midfield and began launching waves of attacks. Soon the pressure took its toll and a Depor striker looped a header into the far post. The Sharks began to look lethargic and Deportivo found more space in the final third. A forward latched onto the ball in the box and lowered the deficit to one when he beat Mike with a low drive. The half ended with Deportivo on the ascendency even though the Sharks were in the lead.

The second half began with Central Park eager to recover their two goal lead. Heng Li put Jason through down the right hand channel, but his cross was cut out by the keeper. Jason was then set loose down the flank again, this time his cross found Harold, who chested the ball neatly. But with only the keeper to beat, the winger swung his leg and missed the ball completely, allowing Deportivo to clear their lines. The whites were soon on level terms through a corner. The in-swinger was met at the far post by a Deportivo midfielder who put the ball into the top corner. The Sharks were desperately demoralized after losing a three-goal lead. But Ryan was on hand to restore their lead shortly after the restart. After receiving the ball in midfield, the dimunitive midfielder let fly with his left foot, beating the keeper who was off his line. Their confidence boosted again, the Sharks went for the kill as more chances came their way. Jason soon got himself on the scoresheet as well, when Harold’s cross into the box found the head of Chris, who flicked the ball onto Muzz. The ball fell behind the young midfielder, who was put off balance by his marker, but Jason was onhand to smash the ball into the back of the net. The goal was a timely one, as minutes later, an innocuous attack by Deportivo ended in the back of the net again when their striker found himself unmarked in the box to stroke the ball past Mike. An equalizer then seemed on the cards for Deportivo, when a goal mouth scramble ended with a Depor forward smashing the ball against the crossbar with Mike beaten.

Soon the manager put himself on for the second time this season, to cap his final game in charge. He contributed by making a handful of passes, and continuously riling up the opposition. Then came the moment of controversy, when he finally got himself on the scoresheet for the first time in at least 5 years. Harold’s cross was contested by the manager and the goalkeeper, ending with the ball in the back of the net. Seemingly a routine call for a foul, the referee stunned everyone present when he awarded the goal. This seemed to utterly deflate the furious Deportivo players, who had every reason to feel aggrieved. Try as he might, Harold couldn’t get a goal on the day. Jason’s reverse pass put the winger clear through on goal, but he sidefooted the ball wide. With the final kick of the game, Muzz added the icing on the cake - a fabulous 30 metre strike which caught the keeper off his line.

The manager commented after the game, 'What more could you ask from the boys as the perfect farewell gift? Whatever was on display shows the epitome of what the team has been all about all these years. Just when everyone feels that the team is on a decline, they came back scoring 14 goals in 2 matches.'

He added, 'Having seen how the team played in the past 2 games, somewhere deep down tells me to go for one final season but well, if that happens, I may never know when would be the last and perhaps the time was ripe to move on and I'm sure the new management will look into ways to further bolster whatever that has been left behind.'

When questioned about his goal, the manager said with a smile, 'Perhaps that goal would finally silence any critics in the team that whenever I mentioned during half-time talks that I could have found the back of the net whenever we missed glit-edged chances in our games if I was in their position, there was probably some truth in those pep-talks, he shrugged.'

Central Park

7

vs

Matador

2

Central Park desperately needed a pick-me-up after the heavy defeat to DHL last week at Turf City, and had the perfect opportunity against Division 3 strugglers Matador on the exact same pitch. This time the manager was not taking any chances, calling on a slew of newcomers and veterans to boost the numbers. 2 goalkeepers showed up, and old Sharks Kit and Brendan made an appearance. The experienced men went straight into the starting lineup, and with Heng Li and Isaac missing, Nasir and Graeme led the front line.

Matador was clearly struggling to keep control of the ball in the early exchanges and the Sharks made them pay. Central Park was in total control of the midfield and after some neat passing Brendan put Harold through. The winger advanced on goal and made no mistake with a crisp finish. Matador failed to create any meaningful chances, and soon the Sharks were 2-0 up in spectacular fashion. Kit burst down the left and with no one to play to inside the box, lay the ball off to Jun Siong. The fullback confidently blasted a shot which evaded the keeper and ended in the top corner.

After the break, some complacency clearly crept into Central Park’s play, and allowed Matador back into the game. Slack defending found the reds bursting into the box on the left. A low cross was somehow spilled by Central Park’s stand-in keeper and giving the Matador striker the easiest of finishes. Matador was seemingly back in the game, but it wasn’t long before the Sharks regained their two-goal advantage. A cross from Harold was met by Jason on the back post, who hooked the ball back to Graeme. The striker made no mistake to volley it home. The goals then came thick and fast as Graeme once again found the target. A long punt upfield by the Sharks keeper caught the entire Matador defense unawares, putting Graeme in acres of space. The striker coolly carried the ball into the box and slotted it into the far post. Then it was Jason’s turn to get on the scoresheet when Brendan put him through. The forward provided a cool left footed finish to extend the lead to 5-1. Harold then got his second via some generous defending from Matador. Jason robbed a defender of the ball on the right, then beating their centre half, set up Harold with only the keeper to beat. The left winger didn’t need any further invitation to blast the ball into the near post. The Sharks then needlessly conceded a penalty, which the keeper got a hand to, but couldn’t prevent from going in.

At that point the manager was confident enough to introduce himself as a late substitute, making an appearance after many years out of the game. Despite numerous attempts to get him into the game, he couldn’t seem to get a touch. The young Nasir finally got himself on the scoresheet when a through pass from the right back sent him clean through. The teenager advanced on goal and beat the keeper with a clinical finish.

It was the perfect remedy for last week’s thrashing, the Sharks scoring 7 this week after previously conceding the same number of goals.

The manager commented, 'The result meant that we have safely secured yet another season in Division 3 after finally coming to a decision that that the management of the team will be taken over by seniors such as Charlson and Jason. Though it was not a championship winning send-off, the boys showed that the still have the desire to win games.

He added, 'Coming on late in the game was probably one to remember for years to come.'

DHL

7

vs

Central Park

1

Central Park faced off with DHL in a high scoring match. Unfortunately for the Sharks, most of the goals went against the depleted side. With only 11 players turning up, including 2 of Harold’s students, the match seemed like a lost cause before it even began. DHL turned up with their full complement of players, a squad who would already give a full-strength Central Park a hard time.

Amid the perfect weather to play football, DHL got the ball rolling with their brand of passing, attacking football and put the Sharks on the back foot from the off. They didn’t take long to register their first goal with a simple tap in after a mistake at the back. However Central Park didn’t put their heads down and began to fashion attacks of their own. Jason had a great chance to equalize when a smart pass by Heng Li gave him sight of goal. His shot however went just past the post to the relief of the DHL goalkeeper. The Sharks soon found the back of the net though when Jason broke down the right to pass it to Nasir in the middle. The midfield general picked out the onrushing Heng Li, who typically chipped over the keeper to score. It was anybody’s game at that point, but DHL went into the break in the lead again when Charlson met a dangerous cross with his head, only to turn it into his own net.

Central Park really took their foot off the pedal in the second half with some dismal defending. Their midfield play was broken up time and again, allowing DHL to counter attack. Cross after cross found their way into the box and the Sharks began leaking goals. Suffice to say Central Park were tiring fast. With DHL smartly rolling their substitutions, the boys in their second white jersey could not keep up with the tempo of the game. Heng Li and Harold had half chances to score but these weren’t taken, summing up a disappointing afternoon for the Sharks. With the final blast of the referee’s whistle, the game ended 7-1.

The manager said, 'Aside from the disappointing scoreline, the boys played their hearts out in the game.

The Usual Suspects

5

vs

Central Park

2

Central Park faced rivals The Usual Suspects, in what has proved to be an unpredictable matchup in recent years. Both sides have not been dominant over the other, and there was no way to tell how this meeting would go. The Sharks however were only able to field a depleted side, with 10 regulars players and bolstered by Omar, Nuriman and two of Harold’s students.

The Usual Suspects looked physically imposing in all departments, and basically out-muscled Central Park. But the Sharks had themselves to blame for some sloppy passing and disjointed play. The breakthrough came when a long diagonal ball from the TUS centreback found a winger who sent in a low cross. The first shot by a striker was saved superbly by the excellent Chris in goals, but the rebound was blasted home by the TUS number 9. The same forward caused havoc every time he touched the ball, and he claimed his second minutes later. Coming inside from the left, he breezed past his marker to slam a thunderbolt into the far bottom corner. Jason had the best chance of the half to reduce the deficit when Heng Li left the right back for dead to send in a low cross into the box. With the keeper committing himself, Jason just needed to get to the ball. But with the goal gaping, the striker failed to get any clean contact and scuffed the chance.

Two goals down at half time, the substitutes were introduced and produced the desired effect. A freekick into the box by Harold found Ryan at the far post, who delivered a measured near post cross. Omar’s touch was perfect, sending the ball past the custodian. With everything to play for, the Sharks surged forward with new found confidence. However that didn’t last long, as TUS’ towering striker headed in a good cross past Chris to regain their two goal advantage. They extended their lead even further when more crosses from the right pelted the penalty area, one finding the striker unmarked. Chris saved the initial shot, but a forward was on hand to smash in the rebound. The Sharks though, pulled on back on the counter, when Vince broke up a TUS attack and fed Harold a ball on the left. With only 2 defenders left at the back, Harold surged forward to the penalty area. Chris and Heng Li were waiting for a pass in the middle, but the winger beat his marker in usual fashion and rammed the ball goal-wards. It hit the near post and nestled in the far corner.

TUS had sent on a veteran striker who looked clumsy and overweight, but with Central Park’s luck, players like that always seem to get on the scoresheet. This time was no exception. A cross from the right once again found the veteran lurking, but with his back to goal, he produced an exquisite finish, volleying the ball in mid-air.

The high scoring game came to a close with Central Park feeling well beaten by a superior side, who dominated in all aspects. But Harold’s young charges gave a good account of themselves, despite facing opponents several times bigger than themselves.

The manager said, 'We struggled in the final third of the field and somehow we failed to gain any control in the middle of the park. We just have to look forward and look to finish the season strongly'.

Barclays Capital

0

vs

Central Park

3

It was almost 4 years ago when Central Park have not managed to start with 11 players. Back then, it was the now defunct Central Park International and incident somehow put the curtains down for the team. For the return leg against Barclays, the Sharks suffered a similar fate, albeit with the players trickling in after 15 minutes into the first half. Nonetheless, the event that transpired had nothing to do with the management decision to call it a day for Sharks at the end of Season 18 after 10 fulfilling years. While the search goes on for any of the senior members to take the helm, it looks more likely that Central Park will play their final game 10 February.

Despite the early hiccups, Sharks started strongly in the first couple of minutes though Barclays easily managed to contain Heng Li who is playing a lone man upfront. However, that didn't deter the Sharks to create ample chances with some crisp passing and movement but somehow, they lacked the killer instinct in front of goal. As the disparity in numbers became even with the arrival of Zhuoneng, the boys in yellow began to control the game even further. However it didn't translate into goals despite having the best chance that fell Nasir who were put thru on goal but he scuffed his shot in the end.

Several changes were made with Jeffrey and Shahril at half-time after running their socks off. In came the likes of Graeme and Chris who partnered Li upfront. That seemed to create instant impact as Sharks looked to take advantage of the aerial 'bombs' from the team's custodian and getting Chris as the target man. It didn't take long for Sharks to take a well-deserved lead when a free-kick by Harold found Chris at the end to toe-poke it into goal to give his team the lead. Shortly afterwards, the provider turned scorer after Nasir capped yet another impressive performance when he unselfishly laid off for Harold to finish from close range.

More changes were made with 3 points almost in the bag but Chris wasn't finished as he another after bravely dived into a low corner by Kelvin to head into goal; leaving Barclays custodian rooted to his spot. At the other end, Barclays manages to create a couple of half-chances but the backline was in no mood to concede for today.

The manager commented, 'The boys didn't let the shock news affected their mind today and the win ensured that we looked to finish the season on a strong note.

Central Park

0

vs

DHL

1

CPFC took on a much improved DHL side on a gloomy morning. Short of many regulars, The Sharks had to rely on reinforcements from Kelvin Tan’s team, including the man himself. Steven, Chong, Edmund and Melvin all made their debuts, and it was a relief to have Mizan back between the sticks.

DHL controlled the match from the beginning, with Central Park taking their time to get into gear. Passes frequently went astray for the yellows, allowing DHL to play some neat one-touch passing through midfield. Their pressure took its toll and they were soon ahead. Their Brazilian striker showed some deft touches, taking him past the defence and Mizan. He seemed to have nowhere else to go but managed to cut a clever ball back for his strike partner to tap in.

DHL continued to find space in midfield as Central Park struggled to gel. Their best chance came when Jason held up the ball and passed to Chong on the edge of the area. The midfielder however miscontrolled the ball and could only manage a top poke at goal which the keeper easily scooped up. Chris too had an opportunity to get a shot on target when Harold was fouled just outside the area. The Aussie opted to place the ball into the corner, but it flew wide instead.

The rain began to pelt down in the second half, turning the game into a scrap for the ball. As the downpour steadily got heavier, visibility got worse and the referee was forced to stop the match. The shower hadn’t subsided after 15 minutes, and the official had no choice but to call for fulltime prematurely.

Due to ESPZEN regulations, any match stopped after the second half had commenced would be taken as fulltime. Therefore the match was registered as a DHL win. The Sharks would feel hard done by as their performance looked like it had improved in the second half.

The manager commented, "As we head into the month of December, I would probably call it 'The December Syndrome' whereby it's a common sight to see many of our players going away for holidays and as such, we just have to make do with whatever personnel we have on game day. As for the match, we just didn't impose ourselves on the game and while we could have pulled off something in the second half, our first half display meant that DHL deserved the points."