Carling Cup: Mamba FC v ACSI

Mamba 3-2 ACSI

22 December 2009

St. Wilfred Field

Mamba: Gary(32), Satish(50), Mus(78)

ACSI: Ken(60), Joh(67)

It was a day of tension and emotion as the two fierce rivals clashed once again in the Carling Cup. The meetings between the two teams have always sparked fiery confrontations and the bragging rights for the winners of a clash like this one is deemed priceless. Both teams fielded line-ups with many changes. Mamba loaned Wafy, Mus, Bilal and Faizal from the Snow Warriors, while ACSI put a new keeper in charge of the shot stopping. This was also the first official debut for new Mamba signing Sam Chew. The 17 year-old took the place of Keith in the centre of defence.

The match started with Mamba piling on the pressure. Satish, Lut, Izzat and Wafy combined to constantly challenge the ACSI defence with strings of sublime passing and impeccable individual ability. Far also looked settled in his new position on the right of midfield. Mamba controlled possesion in the first half, but ACSI gave reminders of their quality when they were allowed to piece together a counter attack with pace. The centre-back pairing of new signings Sam Chew and Mus(on loan) looked a perfect partnership as they were solid throughout. The Mamba goal came at a somewhat unexpected moment. Gary held the ball around the left cornerflag and looked to be surrounded by a stampede of ACSI defenders. But a moment of brilliance from the forward allowed the 17 year-old to wiggle and dribble his way into the penalty box to fire home from a tight angle. It was a goal to be proud of. The first half ended Mamba 1-0 ACSI with the weather teasing with a slight drizzle.

The second half started brightly for ACSI. The team looked more connected and they looked more comfortable in possesion of the ball. The game became more physical as ACSI looked determined to equalise while Mamba fought to hold their lead. When the ball landed at the feet of the skillful midfielder Satish in the 50th minute, the ACSI defence closed in. Quick feet and mazy dribbling brought Satish past 3 ACSI defenders and he extended Mamba's lead with a cool finish with the outside of his right boot. The move was exquisite and it capped an all-rounded performance by the Mamba star player that day.

However Mamba seemed to switch off after that whereas ACSI continued their barrage of attacks. The passes flowed and Mamba keeper Sneow had more problems facing him. ACSI's warning shot came when Sneow found himself diving to scoop the ball off the line. Some ACSI players protested that the ball had crossed the line but no goal was awarded. Speedy ACSI midfielder Ken then took advantage of a lapse in concentration from the Mamba defence to pull one back for his team. ACSI did not stop there. Another beautiful display of passing and skill then allowed Joh to break and he slotted an equaliser 7 minutes later which sent the ACSI players into celebration. Mamba, as shocked as they were, had to get their act together.

Mamba regained their composure and started to hold the ball longer like they did in the first half. Passes from left to right saw wave after wave of Mamba attacks blocked off by the quick reflexes of the ACSI keeper or cleared by the defence. With all the Mamba attackers distracting the defence, the ball fell to Mus, who came forward from his central postion. Mus dribbled foward, all expecting him to hand the ball to one of the strikers. But Mus showed he was capable with a screamer of a goal from outside the penalty area. The Mamba players finished the game with a valuable win and another reason to celebrate this festive season. Merry Christmas everyone!

St Wilfred Cup Fixture 3

St Wilfred Cup Fixture 3

4th December 2008

St Wilfred Field

Mamba 6-1 Snow Warriors

Scorers:

Mamba: Song(10), Firoz(15), Mason(22, 78), Gary(42), Satish(63)

Snow Warriors: Hasbi(56)

The scores on the final day of the St Wilfred Cup would drive the bookies crazy and cause the football pundits to wonder if they should have taken a different career path. Shock results were everywhere. The first came when Mamba overcame their fierce rivals Snow Warriors 6-1. This was the first EVER Mamba victory over Snow Warriors in the long running rivalry which dates all the way back to 2007.

Despite the scoreline, the match was quite evenly matched. Possesion was not one-sided, nor were the shots on goal. But the Snow Warriors did not seem to turn up when in front of goal. Unlucky sometimes too. The shots from the Snow Warriors either went a bit wide or hit the posts. Mamba had their share of attacks too and Song capped the swift passing with a calm finish to open the scoring. Firoz then added to the tally about 5 minutes later. A through ball then sent Mason free to score his 4th goal of the competition. Gary then opened his scoring account at Mamba to finish off a fine move, just before the break.

The Snow Warriors finally arrived in the second half with their attacks looking more and more threatening as the frequency of their shots increased. Their passing were connecting better too. Then came the breakthrough when Hasbi dribbled and jinxed past the whole Mamba defence to bring one back for the Snow Warriors. However, Mamba replied when Satish volleyed a screamer from the edge of the box into the top corner. That goal would likely be considered in as one of the Goals of the Season. Mason completed the scoring with his second goal towards the end of the game.

Pace: Bilal utilises his speed on the wing

SAVED: Sam superbly heads the ball off the line

Clinical Finisher: Mason(hand raised) celebrates his second goal of the game

Explosive: Satish(far right) scores the super volley as Mamba celebrate

ACSI 0-7 A3

(information incomplete)

Scorers:

A3: Vik(2 goals), Tian(1 goal), Sam Chew(1 goal), Jon Neo(2 goals), Nathan(1 goal)

The second shock result came from the fixture right after the Snow Warrior's match. A lacklusture ACSI performance saw them succumb to their biggest ever defeat. Nobody knows the reason behind it but the ACSI defence did not seem up to par that day. Then A3's towering attacking mifielder Vik took advantage by scoring 2 goals, proving he was worth every cent in his record signing fee of 36 million pounds.

New signing Jon Neo got on the score-sheet twice as well as he uitilised his pace to squeeze past the ACSI defenders. Skillful striker Tian finished a fine move to bring A3 to a comfortable lead. A3 had the game beyond doubt. Nathan and Sam Chew then finished the rout with one goal a piece to give A3 their first victory in the competition in style. However, investigations will be carried out on reports on some of the A3 players' refusal to listen to the referee.

Taylor and Sam challenge for the high ball

Catch: Matthew trying to beat the other players to the ball

Cheese: Matthew poses DURING THE MATCH

GOAL: Jon Neo celebrates his goal for the cameras

OLE!: Vik puts the ball thru the legs

St Wilfred Cup Fixture 2

St Wilfred Cup Fixture 2

2nd December 2008

St Wilfred Field

ACSI 4-3 Mamba

Scorers:

ACSI: Johari(23), Taylor(38), Keith(42), Adib(75)

Mamba: Mason(11), Yap(70), Izzat(89)

An early goal by Mason was not enough as ACSI showed mental maturity to fight back and secure their first win in the St Wilfred Cup.

The first goal came from a Mamba counter-attack where Mason broke the offside trap to calmly finish, bringing Mamba into an early lead. A back-pass gave Mamba an indirect free kick in the ACSI penalty box but a precise block denied Mamba a second. But ACSI showed they were no pushovers by being the dominant side controlling the possesion and testing the Mamba keeper with continuous shots at goal. A harsh tackle just outside of the penalty box gave ACSI a free kick and Johari calmy loops it over the Mamba wall and keeper to equalise for ACSI.

ACSI did not stop there. The towering ACSI centre-backs kept the Mamba through balls from breaking through and ACSI controlled the possesion. Possesion then turned into opportunities where Taylor capitalised to bring ACSI ahead. Keith then added a third to give them a 2-goal lead at half time.

A dramatic second half saw Mamba fight hard attacking and holding the ball longer than in the first. More shots came in from the Mamba attack. After what seemed like eternity, loan striker Yap scored a powerful shot. But just when it seemed that Mamba had a little hope, Adib replied with a calm finish to make it 4-2. Izzat got Mamba back late into the game but Mamba were not able to find the equaliser even after the long 5 min injury time.

Team Talk: Mamba psyched up for the match

GOAL: Mason(far right) opens the scoring with a clinical finish

Block: The indirect free kick from inside the penalty box blocked by ACSI

Fight back: ACSI celebrate as they take the lead

A3 0-2 Snow Warriors

Scorers:

Snow Warriors: Wafy(34, 40)

In what was billed as a David v Goliath fixture, A3 actually held the Snow Warriors back rather well. The defence was organised and hardly put a wrong foot all game despite being beaten twice by the powerful striker Wafy.

The first half started evenly with both sides attemping many attacking plays. A slight drizzle started to fall late into the first half and the slippery pitch was getting to the players. Snow Warriors took advantage and utilised Wafy's speed to break the A3 offside trap to score two goals late in the half.

The second half was very even with the heavy downpour really affecting both teams. Visibility was very low and it was getting difficult for the players to move. It became impossible to create proper plays and chances. The pitch became waterlogged soon and the game was stopped shortly before full time. No replay will be done however. The Snow Warriors held the score to secure another 3 points.

Two on One: Khalid(left) challenges the A3 defence

Playmaker: Nathan looks to his team for options

Top Scorer: Wafy continues his fine form with 2 goals agaisnt A3

Focused: Commanding centre-back Helmi shows his skills with the ball

St Wilfred Cup

St. Wilfred Cup Fixture 1

25th November 2008

St. Wilfred Field

ACSI 2-6 Snow Warriors

Scorers:

ACSI: Ben Boo(16), Stanly Gan(50)

*Snow Warriors: Wafy(39, 48, 67, 70, 78, 85)

*BVSS are now known as Snow Warriors



A clinical finish by the speedy Ben Boo and an unbelievable 40m free kick by Stanly Gan capped an outstanding performance by ACSI, but a double hat-trick by towering striker Wafy sealed the 3 points for Snow Warriors.



ACSI controlled more of the the first half keeping about 60% of the possesion. The ACSI attackers fired shot after shot at the Snow Warriors' goal but were more successful in hitting the posts than the back of the net. Unlucky there. Then came the breakthrough ACSI was looking for. A slick through ball set up Ben Boo to calmly strike home the opener. Some tried to appeal for offside but it was not given. Snow Warriors did not seem to turn up in the first half as even their defenders were put under constant pressure from the speedy ACSI attack. Towards the end of the first half, the Snow Warriors finally managed to regain their football mojo for Wafy to get them back on level terms at the 39th minute. The first half kept the supporters at the edge of their seats as it ended 1-1.



The second half looked like a totally different game where it became fast paced and the two teams attacked continuously. Wafy netted another just after the break but Snow Warriors kept this lead just for a couple of minutes before Stanly Gan looped a superb free kick, from about 40m, over the Snow Warriors' keeper. Wafy made it clear that he was on fire that day by constantly testing the ACSI defence line. His deadly overwhelming speed cut the defence like a hot knife through butter as he scored another 4 goals to complete a double hat-trick. He was even supposed to take home TWO match balls for his feat. The hardworking ACSI team gave the Snow Warriors a lot of trouble in this encounter but unfortunately left the match in defeat.

Heartbreak: ACSI watched in disbelief as Wafy netted his hat-trick

On Fiery Form: Wafy celebrates his fifth goal

Mamba 7-2 A3

Scorers:

Mamba: Amraesh (15), Mason(22, 29), Lutfi(42, 59), Firoz(68), Izzat(78)

A3: Nathan(65), Glascow(90)

Rivals Mamba and A3 clashed in this week's fixture and a derby like this one would sure keep everone at the edge of their seats. Despite the scoreline, A3 and Mamba were actually very evenly matched. Frustration grew as over 6 A3 shots hit the posts. A3 showed their prowess in speed and attack as they caused constant problems for the Mamba defence. Mamba would then reply with a heavy counter attack.

Amraesh scored the opener as he calmly striked on the rebound. Mason and Lutfi both got a brace to bring Mamba ahead while Nathan broke the offside trap with to score for A3 in style leaving the Mamba defence powerless. Firoz also got on the scoresheet while Izzat finished with a chip over the A3 keeper.

Like the match involving ACSI and Snow Warriors, this match was also one not to be missed. ACSI and A3 sure did not have luck on their side that day.

(Upcoming fixtures will be updated when announced)

PFA Awards Ceremony

Izzat accepting his PFA's Player of the Year Award

Despite the loss to BVSS, there were still reasons for Mamba to celebrate. Everyone at Mamba would like to congratulate Izzat as he was announced as the PFA's Player of the Year at the PFA awards ceremony. The agile striker would go down into the history books as the first ever Mamba player to win the prestigious award. Izzat has also recently signed a new 7-year deal at Mamba.

Mamba at the Awards(some players missing though)

Mamba: Izzat signs new long term contract

Press Conference: Izzat signing

Mamba would be proud to announce that World-Class striker Izzat has signed a new long term deal, worth over 20 million pounds, that would keep him at the club till 2015. Izzat has contributed greatly in his appearances for Mamba with consistent and outstanding performances. This deal would include a 100,000 pounds a week wage making the 16-year old one of the highest paid players in Mamba.

Izzat has joined Mamba since it was founded in 2008.

Match Report: Mamba Vs BVSS

Community Shield

St Wilfred

Mamba 2-6 BVSS

Scorers:

Mamba: Mason(17, 41)

BVSS: Syaf(10), Wafi(27, 35, 75), Han(68), Faizal(85)

Mamba: Sneow GK, Nazril RB, Joachim DC, Kieth DC, Fariz LB, Amir AMR, Mason AMF, Lutfi AMF, Amraesh AML, Song CF (Gary CF, 45mins), Izzat CF

It was the first game for the Mamba players to play together and they were given the greatest test of them all. BVSS showed no mercy in the Community Shield clash against Mamba with Wafi once again scoring a hat-trick. Brothers Syaf and Han both got on the scoresheet and commanding midfielder Faizal finished a scintillating performance by BVSS. Mason scored a brace on his debut for Mamba.

In the beginning of the first half, Mamba did not seem to have arrived. Wave after wave of BVSS attack pressurized the Mamba defence to the limit. By the 10th minute, explosive winger Syaf found the net thru the legs of Sneow.

Mamba replied with a counter attack soon after which led to a corner. A clinical header by Mason brought Mamba back in the game. Inspiring runs by Izzat, Lutfi, Mason and Song brought the team's momentum up. But BVSS would not take it lying down. Once the ball was in their possesion, smooth passes by BVSS brought the ball back onto Mamba's half. Wafi concluded the attacks with two well placed goals in 8 minutes. Amraesh showed signs of a future master passer with a wonderful cross which assisted Mason to his second goal of the game. Mason calmly chested the ball down and hit the ball into the back of the net. An equaliser looked to have come for Mamba but the BVSS keeper produced a superb double save to deny the attempts.

After half time, Gary came on for Song. Mamba controlled more of the possession in the early stages and attacked with more bite but were left to rue their chances as Wafi completed his hat-trick. Han and Faizal also scored to seal the victory for BVSS.

Mamba produced a good display overall considering it was the first game together and would be looking forward to the next match against ACSI. This game would be one to learn from and for the Mamba players to get back to match fitness.