DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean has not abandoned hopes of overtaking Tampines Rovers FC to second place in the S League shall their title challenge collapse after seeing his side clinch a 2-1 victory over Hougang United FC at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore on Friday.

"We're not giving up on second place just yet. If Albirex Niigata (S) win the next couple of games, Tampines Rovers decide to focus on other competitions, there could be something for us and we still have to play them too," Kean was quoted as saying in a post-match press conference.

Albirex currently hold a four-point lead over Tampines Rovers at the top of the table which makes the latter's encounter over Home United on September 10 crucial.

"The important thing now is to keep our run going and I've challenged the players to end the season unbeaten," added Kean whose side currently trail Tampines by eight points.

The Stags need five more points from their last five games of the season to ensure they will not be surpassed by DPMM FC though both sides still need to play each other.

The form guide also shows that the Gegar Gegar men are the only unbeaten side in the division in the last five matches.

Tampines Rovers, who are through to the Singapore Cup final, have other commitments in both domestic and international competitions and will play the first leg of the AFC Cup quarterfinals against JSW Bengaluru FC just four days after the Home United match on September 14.

Kean heaped praise on his players after working hard to secure the victory despite the earlier setback.

"The players deserved all the credits.

It's them that have to go out and deliver and normally they always do," said Kean.

"We're very fit as a team and we find it in the last 20 minutes we're always strong but the players have to take on the tactical information at half-time."

"I'm sure that Hougang would agree that they've found it much difficult to play against us in the second half than they did in the first," he said.

Kean also singled out praise to captain Rosmin Kamis for keeping a fine job to nullify the threat of undoubtedly Hougang's best player Fumiya Kogure.

"I also have to give credit to my captain Rosmin (Kamis); he did a man-to-man marking job on Hougang's best player, their number 8 (Kogure). Once we took him out, it became easier for us."

Meanwhile, Kean's opposite number Balagumaran was left to reflect what it could have been if not for the two individual errors.

"To me personally it's two individual mistakes but as a whole the team did fight and fought till the last minute," he said.

Balagumaran indicated that the turning point of the game was Delwinder Singh's injury.

"Delwinder's injury was key. We were a little disorganised at the start of the second half, with both goals coming from individual mistakes," he said.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

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