TAN'S RARE GOAL PUTS SAILORS ON TITLE TACK

A calm finish by unlikely hero, Lionel Tan, lit up an otherwise drab encounter as the Lion City Sailors beat title rivals BG Tampines Rovers 1-0 in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) at the Bishan Stadium on Feb 26.

- David Lee

With both teams not at their best, the substitute defender provided the moment of magic as he controlled the ball in the box with his left foot, before sweeping it past goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud with his right in the 82nd minute to settle the top-of-the-table contest.

The 27-year-old admitted he did not expect to come off the bench in the 41st minute, much less score the goal that would help his team widen their advantage at the top of the standings to nine points.

Tan had previously made the headlines in 2023 when he scored three goals for the national team, but endured a barren 2024. His lack of sharpness showed in firsthalf added time when he missed an open header from a corner.

He said: “We have top centre-backs, so it’s not easy to break into the team. Toni Datkovic got injured, and all of a sudden, I was told to warm up. There wasn't much time to get more instructions, except who to mark for the corner when I came on.

“Lately, I haven't had the confidence in front of goal. I had some chances and I haven't been clinical enough. My priority is defending and I'm really happy we got a clean sheet as a team today, but I hope I can also contribute more at the other end.”