Police, ABDB shootout ends in draw

Azamri Zainal
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN


Saturday, December 10, 2011

THE DST League match between MS PDB (Royal Brunei Police Force's Sports Council ) and MS ABDB (Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports' Council) left their fans yearning for more after the teams battled to a 2-2 draw.

The first half started with both teams struggling to find the right flow and tempo in the game, hardly taking time to settle down with a build up to attack from the centre of the field.

There was plenty of action in the goalless half though, the most notable being two yellow cards and a missed penalty by the MS PDB team.

Both teams improved their play in the second half, with the Berakas Sports Complex becoming increasingly crowded with spectators.

Estimating thousands would be an exaggeration but the attendance was highly encouraging for a new football league that is just starting out.

MS ABDB broke the deadlock via a Dahari Hj Md Yussof goal in the 66th minute.

A defensive error in the last ten minutes allowed MS PDB to equalise in the 61st minute, courtesy of a Khalid Mustapah goal.

The game looked to be in the bag for MS PDB when an impressive team play led to a simple tap in goal by Md Najib Hj Tarif in the 89th minute.

A determined MS ABDB side would however steal a late equaliser through Hj Mohd Yusof Hj Matyassin in the 91st minute of the game to deny their opponents maximum points from the match.

Action was clearly not limited to the field yesterday as an MS ABDB fan immediately yelled "Apa Rasanya (How Does That Feel)?" towards the Police crowd before leaving the venue almost immediately after the final whistle.

"We tried to play a strategic and possession game in the first half, but the condition of the pitch did not help our cause," said MS ABDB coach Major (U) Suhaimi Jamali after the game.

Asked about the result, the Major said: "I think it was a fair result for both teams. We have more experience as a team but we were clearly playing against a very strong team. No matter how hard you train, in the morning, afternoon, or night, we will only know where our team stand after playing a game in the league."

A match between two forces that has the potential to create a classic rivalry in years to come, this is the first time in years that the two teams have played each other in a local football league game.

Meanwhile, Muara Vella started their campaign on the right foot after beating Wijaya 1-0 at the Balapan Track & Field Complex.

Played at the same time as the game between MS Police and MS ABDB at the Berakas Sports Complex, the first half ended 0-0, with several yellow cards flashed by the referee in the first half.

A youthful Muara Vella squad finally scored the winning goal courtesy of a penalty that was comfortably executed by Abd Azim Zainal in the 60th minute of the game.

The Brunei Times