'Poor finishing let us down'

DPMM FC'S club manager felt the team could have won their Singapore League Cup game against Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) FC on Wednesday night had they been more clinical in front of goal.

Though 2009 League Cup champions DPMM FC lost 2-0 to the Warriors at the Yishun Stadium in Singapore, Pg Waslimin PSJ Pg Hj Abd Momin didn't think that it was down to a lack of chances.

"We needed better finishing. We could have won if we finished the chances we created," he said yesterday.

"Our performance was alright ... we created a few chances but they were all saved.

"(Strikers) Shahrazen Said and Osman Basiru had one-on-one chances but they were both saved, and Adi Said hit the post," Pg Waslimin said.

The club's other striker, Patrick Roberto Daniel Da Silva, opened his account in style with a brace in their 3-1 win over Geylang United FC in the Singapore League (S-League) last month an impressive feat considering it was only his second game for the side since signing on June 29.

Though the Brazilian was in the starting-11 for both the SAF game and the match against Tanjong Pagar United FC which DPMM FC won 1-0 thanks to a Hj Mohd Subhi Abdillah Hj Bakir strike Pg Waslimin feels the team's latest signing needs more time to adjust.

"Patrick has been playing alright but this is only his fourth game with the club and he needs to play more," said the club manager.

"He had a few chances as well but they were saved," he added.

The history between the two sides is well-documented; DPMM FC beat SAF 4-3 on penalties to win the 2009 League Cup, and more recently, the Warriors handed DPMM FC their first home loss of the season on June 23, a 2-1 defeat in the S-League.

DPMM FC will be ruing their missed opportunity to top their group as they now have to face Home United FC in Saturday's quarter-finals.

Home emerged as Group C table-toppers after an Indra Sahdan brace powered the Protectors to a 2-0 win over Hougang United FC in Wednesday's other match.

Group A winners SAF will face Group C runners-up Hougang in one of Saturday's four quarter-finals.

Geylang United FC shocked League Cup defending champions Albirex Niigata (S) FC 2-0 to top Group B last night, the result ensuring a date with Gombak United FC in the last eight.

Gombak held S-League defending champions Tampines Rovers FC to a 1-1 draw in their Group D tie last night.

The win meant that Gombak would top Group D and Tampines finish as runners-up and a face-off with Albirex in the last eight.

The Brunei Times