Stipe Plazibat scores fifth goal in two games as Home win at Hougang

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:45 am

Home United continued their unbeaten start to the 2017 S.League season with a solid 2-0 win against Hougang United at Hougang Stadium on Sunday night.

Second-half goals from Irfan Fandi and Hougang old boy Stipe Plazibat ensured the Protectors leapfrogged Warriors FC and Albirex Niigata (S) to go top of the table on goal difference.

It was an unhappy reunion for Hougang coach Philippe Aw, who spent 14 years at Home as a player and coach.

Perhaps due to their midweek exertions in the AFC Cup, Home were sluggish in the first half and allowed Hougang to dominate.

The Cheetahs had two opportunities in the first 20 minutes. Azhar Sairudin lashed wide from close range before Zulfahmi Arifin had his free kick punched cleared by Home stand-in keeper Rudy Khairullah.

Home's first shot on goal came on 29 minutes, with Stipe Plazibat firing over a 20-yard free kick after being fell by Nazrul Nazari.

Hougang then had another two chances to go into the lead before half-time, but spurned both.

First, Azhar fired into the side netting after capitalising on a Home defensive lapse. Then Fumiya Kogure saw his effort hacked off the line by Irfan after getting to Nazrul's cutback.

With things still going not their way after the break, Home coach Aidil Sharin brought on Christopher van Huizen for Shamil Sharif on 59 minutes and it proved to be a masterstroke.

A minute after his introduction, the former LionsXII winger delivered a teasing, inswinging corner which caused chaos in the Hougang six-yard area, before Irfan reacted the quickest to thump home.

Hougang tried hard to find the equaliser and went close in the 70th minute, but Azhar's snap shot from the edge of the box went straight to Rudy.

In trying to push forward, the Cheetahs were hit on the counter two minutes later with Plazibat poking home from close range after Faris had flicked on Amiruldin Asraf's right-wing cross.

Hougang had a chance to reduce arrears on 88 minutes, but substitute Pablo Rodriguez somehow headed Kogure's cross over from two yards out.

Home's captain of the night Song Uiyoung hit the post deep into injury time, but it did not matter as the Protectors collected all three points on the night.

Hougang United: Khairulhin Khalid (GK), Lionel Tan, Atsushi Shirota, Zulfahmi Arifin, Nazrul Nazari (Fairoz Hasan 88'), M. Anumanthan, Fabian Kwok, Ali Hudzaifi, Nurhilmi Jasni (C) (Pablo Rodriguez 67'), Fumiya Kogure, Azhar Sairudin (Amir Zalani 76')

Home United: Rudy Khairullah (GK), Juma'at Jantan, Irfan Fandi, Hariss Harun, Sirina Camara, Shamil Sharif (Christopher van Huizen 59'), Izzdin Shafiq (Aqhari Abdullah 45'), Song Uiyoung (C), Faris Ramli, Stipe Plazibat, Amiruldin Asraf (Adam Swandi 90')