Warriors win after Brunei DPMM denied late penalty in S.League

Warriors FC closed to within two points of third-placed Home United after a hard-fought 1-0 S.League win over Brunei DPMM at Choa Chu Kang Stadium on Sunday night.

New Romanian recruit Andrei Ciolacu missed a penalty on his debut, but it mattered little as Ridhuan Muhammad scored the winner for the Warriors in the second half.

There was drama late on with DPMM denied a penalty deep into added time, after an apparent handball by Warriors centre-back Kento Fukuda.

Coach Steve Kean and his players surrounded referee Ahmad A'Qashah after the final whistle, with a red card being shown to DPMM's Najib Tarif.

It was the Wasps' ninth defeat of a disappointing season as they remain second from bottom with only four points from 11 matches.

The Warriors started off well, with Ciolacu almost getting his S.League career off to a flyer by scoring inside the first two minutes, but he headed centimetres wide from Emmeric Ong's cross.

Visitors DPMM then suffered a blow as Chilean attacker Daud Gazale had to come off due to injury after just seven minutes.

They could have gone a goal down on 26 minutes when stand-in custodian Awangku Mu'izzuddin fell Shaiful Esah in the box. However, Ciolacu sent the resulting penalty against the left-hand post to the home fans' despair.

The Wasps might have gone on to break the deadlock five minutes later when substitute Shahrazen Said set Azwan Ali through on goal before the latter was foiled by the legs of Warriors' goalkeeper Zainol Gulam.

Whatever Warriors coach Razif Onn said at half-time worked, as the nine-time champions found the breakthrough eight minutes after the restart.

Canadian winger Jordan Webb floated in an inch-perfect left-wing cross to the far post for Ridhuan Muhammad to nod home the opener.

The home side could have doubled their lead in the 63rd minute, but Shaiful's goal-bound free kick was clawed to safety by Mu'izzuddin.

DPMM were desperate to find an equaliser and almost got it 13 minutes later. But Adi Said was denied the box by the outstretched legs of Zainol.

They thought they'd earned a penalty in the dying moments, but Fukuda's handball went unpunished, much to their outrage.

It was Warriors' seventh victory of 2017, leaving them seven points behind leaders Albirex Niigata (S).

In the Sunday night's other game, Geylang International moved back to fifth spot after a 2-1 victory over bottom side Garena Young Lions.

Goals from Amy Recha (penalty) and Victor Coto meant Amirul Adli's late strike was a mere consolation for the local developmental side.

Warriors FC: Zainol Gulam (GK), Emmeric Ong, Kento Fukuda, Hafiz Osman (Baihakki Khaizan 87'), Zulfadli Zainal Abidin, Shaiful Esah, Firdaus Kasman, Ridhuan Muhammad, Shahril Ishak (C), Jordan Webb, Andrei Ciolacu

Brunei DPMM: Awangku Mu'izzuddin (GK), Haizul Rani, Hanif Hamir, Azwan Saleh (C) (Yura Indera Putera 70'), Azwan Ali, Daud Gazale (Shahrazen Said 7'), Nurikhawan Othman, Najib Tarif, Maududi Hilmi Kasmi, Adi Said, Vincent Salas