29 June, Singapore: Temasek won the inaugural SVHA 8on8 League Masters 2009 season title following their impressive but unlikely 3-1 win over the Hollandse Club Blue side. Temasekians had just enough players to start the game and were punished early on as the Blues ran riot straight from the start of the game.
Attacking down the right where their skillful forward Wim ten Hof was a constant threat, the Blues rightfully took the lead after just 4 minutes of play. A neat one-two with Michiel Bouwman tore the Temasekian defence open and Wim had the simplest of jobs to open the scoring.
It didn't take long for Temasek to suffer more misery as their right back Gordon de Souza pulled his hamsting and had to leave. His team played on for the next few minutes with only 7 players until Valdew Singh joined the fray after slipping on a blue top.
But the match was still going the Blues way and Temasek were reduced to defending and playing the long ball and hoping for the best. The best didn't come until the last 5 minutes of the half. By which time, the Hollandse Club Blues had missed half dozen chances and were fast growing agitated with their poor finishing infront of the agile Aidil Idris in the Temasek goal.
The Blues were going to live to regret their generosity as after some good passing movement between the Temasek players, the ball was well fed to Selvakumar R, who had three shots saved by the Blues keeper Johan Vooren before scooping over the impressive keeper towards the Blues goal. The stunned Tjalling Gerus could not do much but to deflect the alreatd goalbound ball into the Blues goal for a huge Temasek equaliser.
Not a minute later another ball from the Temasek midfield wiggled it's way between the legs of Jonathan Price via a faint deflection and found Selvakumar with another chance to score, this time he went for the slightest gaps between Vooren's pads and luck would have it that he executed his attempt to the letter. Temasek 2-1 up at half time.
The Temasekians came out more confident in the second, but it was more of the same, with the Blues all over the Temasekians. However, more poor finishing kept Temasek edging towards the historic SVHA 8on8 inaugural title.
To the Blues credit they kept trying to breach the Temasekian backline and keeper but time and again, good defending coupled with woeful finishing ensured there were no additions to the scoreline. This state of affairs continues until, Ranjit Singh sent a ball forward from deep in the Temasek half hoping for Selvakumar to find it, however, it was always going away from the lethal forward. As it was already evident luck was Temasek's side as an attempted trap by Gerus would end up deflecting the ball right down Selvakumar's line of fire and he didn't need a second invitation, fire he did! 3-1 off Vooren pads, unlucky Hollandse!
With the minutes ticking away, even the midas stroke of genius from the soon departing Bouwman, in the vein of Rembrant, was not enough to impregnate the Temasek goal. Much to the despair of the Blues and the delight of the Temasekians, who rejoiced at the final whistle with an unlikely victory.
Hockey Village People had secured 3rd spot earlier in the evening when they beat fierce rivals Merlions 2-0 in the 3rd and 4th placing playoff.
Temasek's George Edward lifted the League Masters challenge trophy and the top three teams all got medals to show for their endeavour with Stephen Whitton walking away with a Heineken as the league's top scorer on 14 goals.
The 8on8 was such a success this season that next season is set to start in February and run till the end of June.
--ends--
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