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One year, two months, 22 days, and 51 competitive Sharks matches. That was how long it took the last time Jason 'The Birdman' Tan found the back of the net. His last was on 22 June 2008 but the wait was finally over when he found the winner 5 minutes into full-time and grabbed maximum points for his team against Andernese at Bowen Secondary School on Sunday. The goal was a long time coming, as long as the innuendos he have received for the past couple of months but it proved decisive, collecting the ball just outside the box, he turned his marker inside and with one flowing movement, his clincher found the far post leaving the custodian stranded. Sharks needed something special after Andernese clawed their way back in the second-half when Sharks went into half-time with a 2-0 lead, and with his team on the backfoot for the duration of the second-half, the Birdman came on for Jeremy late in the game and his first touch, was enough to send his team-mates and manager into delirium.
Sharks started the game knowing that they have to peg Andernese but the opposition started the brighter of the two sides, making forays particularly on their flanks, making both the likes of Charlson and Yi Quan doing a double-shift to contain the bye-lines. There were a couple of scares early in the game but this time round, the defense stood firm and repel whatever the opposition threw at them. Sharks however were finding it hard to find their feet with the likes of Brendan and Kelvin unable to provide support for their compatriots upfront, in the form of Li and Jeremy. As the game wore on, the battles were clearly in the middle but Yus and Jiayong provided ample cover for their defense, and it one situation, they managed to get Yi Quan into the act and the majestic full-back spotted Heng Li making his run on the far-side midway in the first half, his pin-point cross field ball caught the Andernese defense off-guard and with Heng Li making a push for the loose-ball, the onrushing custodian had to chance as Heng Li gave his team an underserved lead with his signature goal. That somehow deflated the marauding Andernese as Sharks began to push more man forward. Jeremy Lee came closest to increase his team's lead when his sweetly struck free-kick just missed by mere inches. Shortly afterwards, Li was again making a nuisance of himself when he latched on a bad pass but his toe-poke bounced off the post. Two minutes before half-time, there were no denying Sharks their 2nd goal when Iskandar latched on Li's flick-on off a throw from Charlson as the forward smashed the ball with a volley from close range.
Andernese came out strongly for the second-half as they look to get back into the game. Just as quickly, a fortuitous header somehow found the back of the net with Michael stranded in goal as Andernese managed to reduce the deficit. With their tail's up, they look the dangerous team of the two sides but at the other end, Sharks were looking to restore their 2 goal lead and when Mohan was brought down in the box, the referee decided to award a free-kick just outside the area which was dispatched by Iskandar, to the grateful arms of the custodian. The opposition however were duly rewarded when the defense failed to clear their lines with Mohan caught in posession in the middle. A peach of a cross found their lurking forward to level the score. Both teams came out firing on all cyclinders. Iskandar could have given his team the lead shortly after the restart but his finishing were found wanting. The closest Sharks came to scoring was when Jeremy Lee smashed the ball into the box and Brendan headed into the post, only to find the grateful hands of the custodian. That was the last action for the former as he limped off after a late challenge. On came his replacement Jason, coming onto the left wing. With his first touch of the ball, Iskandar found him in space. The burly forward turned his marker and in one flowing move, let rip his shot and to the delight of his team, it found the back of the net as Sharks stood firm to grab maximum points and saw out the remainder of the game.
The delighted manager commented, 'It's games like this that make you want to see games week-in, week-out. The winner was fantastic, and to be coming from a player who have been at the back of so much criticisms lately, the goal and securing maximum points is just what he needed. Perhaps, the innuendos made pre-game probably had it's effect.'
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