Strong Start From Stags 'Kills' Eagles

Geylang outclassed by quality of Tampines with East derby virtually over by half-time

- Melvyn Teoh

BG Tampines Rovers retained their spot as kings of the east on April 4, when they cruised past rivals Geylang International 3-1 at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

The Eagles' loss certainly puts a dent in their hopes of finishing second in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) this season. With 54 points, the Stags are now 10 points clear of third-placed Geylang with six games to go in the nine-team league.

It took Tampines just two minutes to get on the scoreboard. A free kick from Faris Ramli found defender Milos Zlatkovic and the Serb directed his header into the corner of the net, leaving Eagles custodian Rudy Khairullah rooted to the spot.

They then had a chance to double their lead nine minutes later when Glenn Kweh found Seia Kunori, whose shot was parried by Rudy. The rebound fell to Faris, but the Tampines winger fired wide from close range.