Cubs down Newcastle 4-3 in Lion City Cup thriller
An incredible comeback saw Singapore Cubs beat Newcastle United's under-15 team 4-3 in the opening game of the Canon Lion City Cup 2011 at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday night.
Trailing for most of the game, they dug deep to score three goals in the last five minutes to open their campaign on a winning note.
The under-15 Cubs were no match in size compared to their English counterparts, but they made up for it with their speed and tenacity.
Newcastle wasted no time in settling down and went ahead in the 4th minute when James Atkinson took advantage of a goalmouth scramble from a corner and prodded the ball in.
Ten minutes later, the Cubs responded as Zulfadhmi Suzliman was at the right place at the right time to slot the ball into an empty goal after Azhar Ramli's shot hit the post.
Azhar was a constant threat down the left wing in the first half, causing much trouble to the Newcastle defence with his pace and direct runs at goal.
The Cubs enjoyed spells of possession after equalizing, but found themselves behind again after a quick counter-attack from Newcastle left them a goal down at halftime.
They started the second half brighter, creating chance after chance but just could not find the net.
Things got worse for them as the Magpies capitalized on yet another counter attack. Man-of-the-match Alex Gilliead proved his worth with a fine finish to widen the margin against the run of play. Nothing seemed to be going right for the hosts.
However, the heat and humidity eventually took its toll on the Newcastle players.
The Cubs seized the opportunity and scored three goals in the last five minutes.
Azhar sparked the comeback when he sneaked into the penalty box to tap the ball in.
Substitutes Rifqi Yazid equalized amid much confusion in the Newcastle defence, while Faridzuan Fuad scored with literally the last kick of the match to send the local fans crazy.
Newcastle coach Jimmy Nelson said his boys were not used to playing a full 90-minute match.
He said, "The maximum game we play at Alex (Gillead)'s age is three 25-minute periods… so effectively many of those lads from the 75 minute onwards were running on empty fuel."
Singapore U-15 coach Dejan Gluscevic was not surprised at the outcome of the game. "As far as they play up to their ability, they will do very well," he said.
The manner in which the Cubs fought back might have instilled some confidence in local football fans.
Undergraduate Melvyn Mok, 23, said, "Such spirited performances of raw passion for the game may just be the main ingredient in bringing local interest back."
In another match, CR Flamengo U-15 beat Everton FC U-15 1-0. Leandro Carvalho scored the only goal in what was a keenly contested affair.
