| Fadhil Yunus |
DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean expressed confidence that his charges’ exploits in the Singapore League Cup could help provide a morale boost against Geylang International FC in the Great Eastern-Hyundai S League at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium tonight.
The revitalised ‘Gegar Gegar’ men produced a strong showing in the opening two group games but bowed out in the semi-final stage against Warriors FC.
Their defeat to Warriors may have been as a consequence of players running out of steam but it is the earlier results which have been seen as positive signs of an upturn in fortunes.
“It is a competition we’ve always done well but unfortunately the fourth game (against Warriors) which was the fourth game in 11 days, it just caught up with us a little bit physically. We looked very tired and it wasn’t that we didn’t have any quality,” said Kean in an interview with the Bulletin after a training session at the Jerudong Mini Stadium yesterday.
“We’ve seen that in the first three games. We scored a lot of goals, we defended well and we just had a run out of steam.
“But we take a lot of positives from getting to the semi-final. We’ve played against clubs and beat them fair and square by good margins.”
Kean added that the Eagles would prove to be tough opposition who themselves have been on a resurgence since Noor Ali succeeded Hasrin Jailani in the managerial hot-seat.
“They’re a good side but with the exception of the last game in the League Cup, it wasn’t that we played bad. I think we’ve just ran out of energy and at the moment we’re playing well.
“We’ve been scoring a lot of goals and the goals are getting shared all around the team,” the former Blackburn Rovers manager continued.
DPMM FC will be missing the services of defender Vincent Salas who has been ruled out of the match through suspension. David Gazale returned for the Gegar Gegar men in the Warriors defeat but is yet to reach full fitness while Rafael Ramazotti is still on the sideline.
“We only have one import but what we’ve shown in the League Cup and some of the games we didn’t have any imports.”
Kean withdrew Salas in the 65th minute in the final group game against Geylang in order not to risk the player from missing the semi-finals.
“In the third game, we had a complete team from Brunei. So that can only be good for us for the future.
“Then when we get the imports back in to help us, I think we can have a strong finish to the end of the season,” the head coach further added.
The Brunei-based outfit had made seven changes since the start of the season in the last couple of games with Mu’izzuddin Ismail in goal, Haizul Rani Metussin slotted in the right back position, two new central defenders in Vincent Salas and Hanif Hamir, Nurikhwan Othman as well as Adi Said and Shahrazen Said up front.
“Seven changes from the starting 11 is a lot. It has shown that those seven that have come in… most of them are locals and they’ve all improved.
“We’re such a small country and we need to keep on developing our own players,” he said.
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