| Fadhil Yunus |
BRUNEI Darussalam National Under-21 team crashed out of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy for Asean Youth Football Tournament 2018 after slipping to a 1-0 defeat to Myanmar in the final Group ‘A’ game at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium last night.
The young Tabuan’s exit from the competition drew parallels to the 2014 edition when they lost out on the competition by a single goal as a late leveller would have put them through.
Myanmar have been confirmed as group winners while Timor Leste took the runners-up spot while Singapore and Cambodia qualified from Group ‘B’ after the Angkor Warriors pulled off a 1-0 win they needed to advance.
The young Tabuan would have gone through with a win and they actually had the ball behind enemy lines as forward Faiq Jefri Bolkiah tried to lift the ball over a defender but there was no further harm since.
The hosts had to stay alert after Myanmar forward Zin Min Tun attacked the ball and rose high for a header but he was unsettled by the home defence.
The host nation avoided a scare after Muhammad Abdul Syakir misplaced his pass to the opposition midfielder Soe Lwin Lwin but fortunately the latter took a heavy touch.
Myanmar had a goal ruled out for offside but there was nothing wrong about their opener when they finally took the lead in the 35th minute.
The visiting forward Aung Kaung Mann released his shot which Brunei goalkeeper Ishyra Asmin Jabidi parried away only to the path of Zin who slammed his shot for the opening goal of the game.
The goal silenced the crowd and it nearly got worse after a free-kick from forward Lwin Moe Aung was deflected into the top corner which Ishyra pushed away for a corner.
Myanmar’s forward Aung Kaung then headed wide in the opening stages of the second half.
The visitors survived a scare after Than Htike Zin allowed the ball to roll into the path of Brunei forward Faiq Jefri Bolkiah but the latter could only hit his shot straight at the largely untroubled Myanmar goalkeeper Phone Thitsar Min.
The hosts were counting their lucky stars as Soe Lwin Lwin skied his effort wide after being played through though from a tight angle.
Myanmar substitute Pyae Sone Naing unleashed a fine drive from the edge of the box but it ended wide.
The Yadanarbon FC midfielder had another chance when his shot deflected off a Bruneian defender for another corner.
The post Brunei crash out of HBT appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.