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Gombak have failed to find consistency this season.(Photo:SSC)
That could be the new catch-phrase in town as far as similes go. What more can be said when you beat the likes of Home United, Etoile FC, and Singapore Armed Forces FC, all of whom are genuine title contenders, and lose to weaker sides like Sengkang Punggol and Woodlands Wellington?
At the Jurong West Stadium last night, the Bulls did no justice by losing to visitors Balestier Khalsa 1 – 0 in an S-League encounter. A calm finish from midfielder Nurhilmi Jasni in the 62nd minute was enough to seal the tie, and end the Bull’s unbeaten home record.
Despite being currently in sixth place, the Bulls have the worst scoring record in the League. Their nine goals so far are sounding alarm bells that they are missing the influence of Nigerian duo Gabriel Obatola and Kingsley Njoku. The strike duo bagged an amazing 32 goals between them last season.
Coach Darren Stewart, however, refused to blame their drastic form on the departure of this prolific partnership. “It’s not an excuse. Maybe at the beginning we struggled to adjust but I’m not going to use that now,” said the Australian.
To the Bulls’ credit though, they managed to keep a modest losing margin despite being down to ten men after midfielder Ridhwan Jamaludin was dismissed for a second bookable offence in the first half.
Said Balestier coach Nasarudin Abdul Jalil: “It definitely made it easier for us after they lost a player but we have shown that we can match the big clubs”.
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