Wong upset by Young Lions circus
Geylang United coach Mike Wong was left fuming by events which led to his side's 3-2 loss to Courts Young Lions on Thursday.
The visiting coach was unhappy his preparations for the match at Jalan Besar Stadium were disrupted by marketing activities prior to kick-off. The pre-match commotion surrounded Young Lions tie-up with the visiting New York Cosmos' stars Pele and Eric Cantona.
"It's good for the fans, and even we [Geylang United] are fans today because of the two great gentlemen [Pele and Cantona] here but it's not good for football in terms of preparation," Wong said.
"I feel it is really bad that we warmed up and then we had to cool down for the next half an hour [waiting].
"One thing I hate the most is to play without proper training. I asked for a [training] pitch prior to the game and I was told that I could not get one.
"I didn't get a chance to use the pitch and we struggled for the first 30 minutes of the game with the bounce of the ball.
"I don't just blame the pitch but with the overall the setting up of the match - I am not pleased."
Young Lions won the match thanks to a fine first half performance. They led 2-1 within the first 20 minutes through goals came from Fazli Ayob and Shahfiq Ghani. Geylang replied through Yasir Hanapi on the stroke of half-time.
It was 2-2 right after the break but Gerylang were undone again by Ghani in the 51st minute which was not without further controversy. A cross from the left flank by Irwan Shah was guided towards goal by the head of Shahfiq. The effort hit the upright and appeared to bounce clear but the assistant referee awarded the goal.
"I couldn't see it [the ball] but a Young Lions fan has told me that it was not a goal," Wong said.
However, the Eagles coach said while he accepts referee Sukhbir Singh's decision to award the goal, he cannot understand why Kim Jae Hong was shown a red card after the game. The attacking midfielder was part of a group of players and match officials trying navigate their way around the media circus engulfing Pele and Cantona at the final whistle.
"No players shouted vulgarities [at the referee]," Wong said.
"They [the players] didn't know where to go. We couldn't go by the center, we couldn't go by the side, and of course the players are going to question the referee [if he's standing right there].
"But no vulgarities were ever said.
"We will have a hard time coming back in the next game with all the suspensions."
Both sides had men dismissed during the game, including Geylang assistant coach Slobodan Pavkovic in the 78th minute. Head coach Robin Chitrakar explained it was just a case of frustrations boiling over following Irwan Shah's earlier sending off.
"After the Irwan got sent off, I don't know what happened between [Slobodan] and the referee because I was fuming at the red card myself," he said.
However, Chitrakar was more pleased with his team's attacking display.
"A good first win," Chitrakar said.
"The boys did very well. I thought from the very first minute we came out strong.
"Slobodan has been helping me in training. We brushed up on the final third, it's only a matter of time before we got the goals and we have faith and we believe in these boys."
Young Lions had not scored in the new S-League season prior to Thursday's game.