Friendly Match vs NTU

Match Details
Jollilads vs NTU
Venue: NTU SRC main field
Kick-off: 730pm
Date: 4/09/09 Friday

Attire: White

Please state in the comments section on whether you are able to make it. Note this is our final meet up before our first FA cup match of the season. Of course, it will be a long road ahead.

Slow Start, Steady Finish

JAFC 1 - 0 Goldhill

After almost a month apart, the team of Jolly lads finally came together, dressed in the colours of the combine uni for a friendly against a KL Div 2 team (Goldhill) in preparations for the big FA cup tie with prisons. The game or rather the evening and the game started out slow, it might have been due to the after effects of being shocked by the 3/4 Chinese opponents as many of us equated KL Div 2 team = Team of Malays (no offence to Rafi - based on race on IC). It was so shocking that we even forgot to huddle for the YINGNI! cheer.

However, as the ball started moving from feet to feet, the pace of the game picked up as well, with JAFC having most of the possession. JAFC had several promising runs and passes in the attacking third, however none materialised with shots going either wide or over the bar. Just when the half looked like it was going to end goalless, a well wiped in corner by Sudi found Weiming at the near post who unleashed a blazing glancing header, sending the ball straight into the net, leaving the Goldhill keeper and their defenders dumbfounded.

Just before the half ended, Coach Arasu made several substitutions, hoping to add on another goal with the introduction of hungrier attacking minded players like Khai and “Nigerian” Pramod, back from his failed transfer to the Niger Tornadoes (it’s a real team by the way). The second half took off with Goldhill stepping up their game with their passes and runs being more penetrative. Despite the pounding pressure from them, the JAFC backline stood strong, coping well with all that was thrown at them. Again the second half saw JAFC coming close a couple of times with Fuhang’s shot forcing a brilliant save from the Goldhill’s keeper and Khai’s half volley going just wide.

At the end of the day, a Steady finish from Weiming was enough to seal the victory for JAFC. Overall it was a good performance leading up to the FA Cup tie. Till the next game on Friday, rest well and train hard (a little oxymoron but you guys get the point).

Lineup: Aziz (Tim), Andrew, Aaron, Feroz (Rafi), Anand(Jin), Sudi, Fuhang (Kok Siong), Zul, Manfred (Pramod), Weiming, Winston (Khai)

P.S: I’m sorry if I messed up the substitutions and if I missed anyone out. It was kinda messy but the basically everyone played (:

Friendly match against KL Div 2 team (updated)

Jollilads vs KL Div 2 team
Venue: NTU SRC main field
Kick-off: 730pm
Date: 29/08/09

Attire: Bring both sets of jerseys

Be there by 630pm for warm-ups.

We will be playing friendly matches in build up towards our 1st FA cup match of the season.
For those who cannot make it, please state in the comments section.

Dawning of a new contributor to JAFC blog

Greetings to one and all, following the departure of jolly lad for international duties in Spain, jolly lad has gracefully appointed ying ni as a new contributor as his replacement. Jolly lad has been a great contributor to JAFC on and off the blog, inspiring players with his talks (at times screams) his attitude and his commitment not only to the updating of the blog but also to training and to the team. His presence on and off the blog (once again) will definitely be missed. But I hope that you guys will join me in wishing him all the best for his international duties in Spain, I am pretty sure that he will come back with more interesting ideas on how to deal with long throws and might even come back with a strikers instinct and an eye for goals (not that he doesn’t have it). So good luck Jerry and Bon Voyage!

Finally, as this is my first time ever blogging and given that I have such huge huge shoes to fill, I’ll try my best be as committed and entertaining in the updating of JAFC blogs. So feel free to drop me comments be it nice or not (chengwei included). So till our FA cup clash with Prisions, lets all work hard, train hard and play hard.
Cheers!

FA Cup

JAFC 0-1 AMK Utd

With 4th spot guaranteed, the lure of foreign beaches and bright lights proved too strong for many of JAFC's senior players, as they decided to head off for an early holiday. This player shortage was exacerbated by the omnipresent flu bug, robbing Anand of his right wing sidekick/shifu Sudi, and AMK Utd a dark shadowy fate along their left wing, as well as Daowei. Thankfully, this game saw the return of suspected H1N1 victim Jerome Koh, "i'm on coaching course" Khai, and Kok Siong to form a 13 men squad.

Dropped for wearing pink socks instead of the regulatory red, Aik Leong was benched in place of Nasir, scorer of AMK Utd's winning goal during the last encounter. This set the tone for the rest of the game as AMK sough to exploit JAFC aerially - Nasir the targetman supported by Zhiwei. After the 80th long throw by Lionel of AMK Utd (Aaron's senior in Long Throw School Independent), bored fans could be seen walking out of the stadium as JAFC stood firm.

However, a lapse of concentration from the defense led to AMK Utd's goal. From Tianci's goal kick, AMK Utd put a strong header back towards JAFC's half. The strong header caught the static defense off guard as Zhiwei was quickest to react, peeling away and tucking a shot past Tianci.

In typical gung-ho spirit, Coach Arasu opted for a 3 men backline in the 2nd half, pushing more men forward as JAFC searched for an equiliser. Unfortunately, the goal was not forthcoming as AMK Utd held on for a crucial win.

Lineup: Tianci, Andrew, Jerry, Kennard, Junrong (Jerome, Aziz), Anand, Kok Siong, Fuhang, Manfred, Khai (Winston), Weiming

PS Jerome suffered a knee injury and was replaced by Aziz.

PSS Jerome did not suffer from H1N1