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A first ever goal from Norazman in the 7th minute off a clever pass from Jeremy was enough to see off the challenge from Jalan Damai FC at Kallang Practice Track on Wednesday as they held on for another three precious points in their second game of the competition. The win propelled the Sharks back to second spot after Hougang SC managed to scrape a draw in an earlier game played on Tuesday against Elias Park FC.
Only 2 changes were made in the line-up as compared to the last game with Shah starting his first game in the competition partnering Li upfront and Sarhan taking a slot in defense. It was all square with both teams trying to find their feet in the game but Damai was caught square when a strong challenge from Jeremy in the centre caught their entire defense on the back foot and a timely run from Norazman caught Damai’s defense flatfooted when he received the ball from Jeremy and he finished it with a exquisite chip after Damai’s custodian were caught off his line. Sharks had an opportunity to grab a second after Shahrizad found Shah with a thru pass but the latter took too long to pull the trigger. However that was Shahrizad last contribution in the game as he had to limp off after aggravating an old injury which could probably be the last we will see him in a Sharks jersey after he announced his retirement after the game. The opposition had their moments in the game and their best chance came in the 20th minute after some confusion from a corner which provided the opposition with a clear sight on goal, only for the resulting shot to be deflected off Sanhaji for a corner with Shahrilnizam rooted to his spot.
The second-half was a dull affair with most of the battles fought in midfield as both sides struggle to gain a foothold in the game. Both teams had good opportunities at either end with the balance tipping slightly higher for the opposition. Their best chance fell when Shahrilnizam had to make a point-blank double-save in the penalty area to consolidate his team’s lead. As for the Sharks, they had opportunities to grab a second goal to ensure the win thru Li and Jeffrey late in the game but they were unable to capitalize on the chance. Nonetheless, the Sharks held on for another famous victory.
'It is games like this that mould a team. It wasn’t pretty but we took our chance and kept it tight right till the final whistle and Azman chose the right time to score his first ever goal and it proved priceless, said the manager after the game.
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