10-man Albirex beat Warriors to go four points clear in S.League

Defending S.League champions Albirex Niigata (S) ended Warriors FC's unbeaten start to the season with a 4-2 victory at Jurong East Stadium on Saturday night.

Despite having to play with 10 men for more than half of the game, Albirex managed to hold off a late Warriors' onslaught to claim the three points.

With the win, Albirex moved four points clear at the top of the table, following on from their unprecedented quadruple-winning season in 2016.

Kazuaki Yoshinaga's men got off to a superb start by scoring inside six minutes. Shoichiro Sakamoto bundled home Nagasaki's corner past Warriors stand-in keeper Zainol Gulam from close range.

The White Swans doubled their lead eight minutes later. Tsubasa Sano latched onto a long ball before lobbing it over the onrushing Zainol.

Albirex were, however, reduced to 10 men right before half-time when right-back Tomoki Menda was given a straight red for a trailing boot on Shahril Ishak.

The numerical disadvantage did not seem to have affected them though, as they added another two goals after the break to make it 4-0.

On 53 minutes, Kento Nagasaki curled a sublime free kick past Zainol. Then, on 61 minutes, Sano broke the Warriors' offside trap before slotting home for his second goal of the night.

Warriors finally woke up from their slumber, and managed to pull one back in the 67th minute.

Canadian forward Jordan Webb slotted home from the spot after Albirex centre-back Yasutaka Yanagi was adjudged to have handled in his own box.

Razif Onn's men got another 11 minutes later. Shahril's long-range free kick sailed all the way past Albirex custodian Yosuke Nozawa.

It was all Warriors in the final 10 minutes and they could have grabbed a draw if only they had taken their chances.

Centre-back Kento Fukuda headed Zulfadli Zainal Abidin's cross into the side netting, before Webb saw his goal-bound shot parried by Nozawa.

Albirex eventually hung on for the 4-2 win and pulled four points clear of nearest challengers Tampines Rovers to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

"I was not really worried [that Warriors would come back at 4-2]... I trusted the players," Albirex Niigata (S) head doach Kazuaki Yoshinaga, said.

"I was confident before the game we would win today and we did exactly that. The players were disciplined enough and kept themselves composed throughout."

Warriors FC head coach Razif Onn said: "It was too early in the game that we conceded the first goal; the Albirex strikers were quick and stronger on the ball.

"I was told [Ho] Wai Loon and Firdaus [Kasman] a day before the game they will not be able to play today, but I thought they could have made a difference. But that's no excuse, the players who come in must be able to step up and perform."

Albirex Niigata (S): Yosuke Nozawa (GK), Tomoki Menda, Takuya Akiyama, Yasutaka Yanagi, Naofumi Tanaka, Hiroyoshi Kamata, Shuto Inaba (C), Kento Nagasaki, Ryuya Motoda (Ryota Nakai 24'), Shoichiro Sakamoto (Rui Kumada 71'), Tsubasa Sano (Koki Sato 90')

Warriors FC: Zainol Gulam (GK), Emmeric Ong, Baihakki Khaizan (C), Kento Fukuda, Zulfadli Zainal Abidin, Poh Yi Feng (Shaiful Esah 68'), Syaqir Sulaiman, Hafiz Nor, Shahril Ishak, Jordan Webb, Joel Tshibamba (Ridhuan Muhammad 59')