Geylang snatch dramatic win over Home United in S.League

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Geylang International netted two goals in the final three minutes to return to winning ways with a thrilling 2-1 triumph over Home United at the Bishan Stadium on Thursday.

Following a goalless first half, it was Shahrin Saberin who handed the Protectors a 50th-minute lead when he converted from close range.

However, Sahil Suhaimi levelled the scores for Geylang with a looping header with two minutes remaining, before Gabriel Quak lashed home the winner in the final minute to complete a remarkable comeback.

The victory, which ended the Eagles' two-game losing streak, also saw them move up to fifth on the table but it was certainly a close shave for them as their opponents had been the more dominant side throughout the 90 minutes.

Just two minutes in, Ken Ilso fired away a powerful effort that drew a flying save from Syazwan Buhari, before Azhar Sairudin met Ambroise Begue's cross with a low shot that crept just wide of the bottom corner.

Ilso threatened again in the 26th minute with a powerful free kick that Syazwan once again did well to keep out, but it was the visitors who arguably had the best opportunity of the first half a minute before the break.

From a sweeping counter attack, Sahil released Faritz Hameed and he powered his way past Redzwan Atan before rounding Zulfairuuz Rudy, only to fire wide from a tight angle.

But just five minutes into the second half, the Protectors finally got the breakthrough when Zulfahmi Arifin's corner was met by Khairul Nizam at the back post and he nodded it back into the danger area, where Shahrin reacted quickest to stab it home from six yards.

The chances continued to fall Home's way and Nizam was unlucky not to make it 2-0 when he raced through on goal but saw his low shot come back off the foot of the post, before Syazwan reacted well to keep out a powerful drive from Begue.

That missed chance to kill off the contest proved to be pivotal as Geylang went up the other end and, after Yuki Ichikawa had flicked on a high ball, Sahil did well to send a looping header over a stranded Zulfairuuz and in off the post.

Then, in injury-time, the comeback was completed when a Faritz free kick was nodded down by Shariff Samat towards Quak, who clinically fired into the bottom corner to claim the three points for his side.

Admitting his side had been fortunate to come away with the win, Eagles coach Hasrin Jailani nonetheless hailed the result as a much-needed triumph.

"I don't think we played well at all," said Hasrin. "We can consider ourselves to be very lucky but it's a morale-boosting win, especially after losing our last two games.

"Now we have two games against Albirex in the Singapore Cup and we're definitely going to go all out to get a positive result."

Meanwhile, Home coach Philippe Aw struggled to contain his disappointment after watching his side once again fail to make the most of their dominance.

"We should have closed up the game and I'm very, very disappointed because the team played well," conceded Aw.

"We created many chances to kill off the game but we didn't make the most of it and we kept Geylang alive.

"In the end, it was down to our failure to convert our dominance and our failure to deal with two long balls."

Home United: Zulfairuuz Rudy, Shamil Sharif, Abdil Qaiyyim, Shahrin Saberin (Sim Teck Yi 84'), Redzwan Atan, Song Ui-young (Zulfahmi Arifin 30'), Syahiran Miswan, Ambroise Begue, Azhar Sairudin, Ken Ilso, Khairul Nizam (Haziq Azman 67').

Geylang International: Syazwan Buhari, Al-Qaasimy Rahman, Daniel Bennett, Yuki Ichikawa, Brandon Koh (Isa Halim 46'), Carlos Delgado (Stanely Ng 66'), Nor Azli Yusoff (Shariff Samat 79'), Faritz Hameed, Sahil Suhaimi, Gabriel Quak, Amy Recha.