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Central Park FC is finally in the safe zone, and will most likely remain in Division 3 next season. However that was no excuse for a dismal display against Hibernians Social, as the men in blue got their revenge for last week’s 6-0 mauling by the Sharks. Two very untidy goals in the second half was enough to sink the yellows, in what was a forgettable afternoon on the PSA pitch.
The Sharks were depleted this week with the likes of Issac, Vince, Anuar, Steven and Aaron all out of action. A promise of a return by prodigal son Jiayong was eventually scrapped, as he pulled out at the last minute. But Kelvin Tan was recalled from retirement to make up the numbers. Veteran Heng Li filled in at the centre of midfield. In a show of intent, the Hibs fielded a virtually unrecognizable team from last week.
The boys in yellow surged forward from the first whistle, with Harold whipping in crosses from the left flank after some link-up play with front pairing Jason and Chris. A series of corners didn’t produce any notable goal chances, with the Hibs surviving the first wave of pressure. Then they started to take control of the game. Patient passing and off-the-ball running saw the Sharks pegged back for much of the first half. The Hibs came closest when a goal-mouth scramble ended with Mizan making a diving save, and Charlson clearing a second attempt at goal off the line. Central Park could only conjure half chances as Harold sent a free-kick over the bar, and Chris had a weak volley saved by the Hibs’ keeper.
The Hibs continued to dominate possession after the restart, as the yellows struggled to string meaningful passes together. The blue strikers were causing problems forcing Mizan into a series of saves and eventually the pressure got to the Sharks. A corner was poorly cleared, and was hooked back on target by a Hibs player. Mizan and Vincent could not reach the looping shot, and it sailed into the top corner for the opener. That spurred Central Park into action, with diminutive fullback Bregy and Kelvin foraying down the right flank. But that opened up space for Hibs to counterattack, which they did expertly. They came close when their winger beat 2 players, forcing Mizan to make a brave lunge and earning a bruised leg for his efforts. The second goal came when a hopeful long ball was launched into the box, only for the normally reliable Sharks keeper to misjudge the bounce of the ball.
Harold and Jason both had weak efforts saved in the dying minutes, summing up a poor outing, and ending a fine winning streak. With 1 game left for the season, Central Park still hopes to end on a high with a victory.
The visibly dejected manager commented, 'We wanted to finish the season on a high, especially after a good run of results but today, just shows the lack of depth we have. As the season draws to a close, we are probably looking to add a couple of new faces to bolster the team for the new season especially in the middle of the park.' |
