SINGAPORE – With key contributions at both ends of the pitch, centre-backs Hugo Gomes and Bailey Wright shone as they led the Lion City Sailors to a 2-0 win over Adelaide United on Oct 29.

The result saw the Sailors leapfrogging their Australian opponents to return to the top of Group F in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Two.

After three games, they have seven points from two wins and a draw, one more point than Adelaide. The two teams will meet again at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Nov 5, when another victory would put the 2024 runners-up on the brink of qualification for the last 16.

Man-of-the-Match Gomes said after the game: “This win is so big. Before travelling to Australia, we set a target to go back with three points. This is a team victory and you saw that we fought until the end.

“We had a few opportunities in the first half we could score from. But when we don’t score, it was important that our defence was compact to keep the clean sheet. We knew we would have opportunities and I was at the right spot. I’m happy with the goal and victory, this is a very good step for qualification from the group.”

Although they were playing away at the Coopers Stadium, the Singaporean side – who started with 10 imports and Japan-born Lion Kyoga Nakamura – took the game to the hosts and eventually fired 25 shots.

After failing to make a breakthrough in the first half despite the best efforts of forward Matthias Phaeton, the Sailors defence stayed resolute against the hosts who fielded an interesting starting line-up featuring five players in their 30s. They included 34-year-old skipper and left winger Craig Goodwin, who played and scored for Australia at the 2022 World Cup.

Adelaide’s other six players were aged 22 and under. Two of them combined for their best chance of the first half when 19-year-old right-back Harry Crawford’s cross was diverted by Sailors goalkeeper Victor Aznar onto the path of 18-year-old attacker Amlani Tatu, who stroked the ball into the side netting with the goal gaping.

Guadeloupe international Phaeton scored with an exquisite flick off Jorge Karseladze’s cross in the 52th minute but was flagged for offside, before Gomes, who had struck the woodwork in the first half, made the breakthrough in the 80th minute.

Giovanni Haag’s corner found its way to the 31-year-old Brazilian, who had time and space at the back post to finish with his left foot for his third goal in six games this season.

The Sailors then sealed the three points in a dramatic end to the match in front of about 60 away fans who either travelled or were based in Adelaide.

In the third of four minutes of added time, Ryan Kitto’s point-black shot was blocked by Aznar before Melbourne native Wright sprinted to hook the ball away as it spun back towards goal.

Less than half a minute later, Phaeton led a counter-attack before laying the assist for Lennart Thy to lift the ball over Joshua Smits.

The 33-year-old goalkeeper admitted that his side were far from their best. He said: “We were not good on the ball. That was a massive problem especially in the first half when we made a lot of mistakes. We were predictable and that’s when we lost the ball and had to start running backwards.

“We had enough warnings in the first half to understand we had to be careful. We did better in the second half and had a little bit more control of the ball, but it was not enough today.”

Later in the evening, Singapore’s other representatives Tampines Rovers endured a nightmare 5-1 loss to Cambodia’s PKR Svay Rieng at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

Despite losing their first two games, the Stags made an encouraging start to the campaign in the narrow defeats by China’s Shanghai Shenhua (2-1) and Japan’s Machida Zelvia (1-0) but now find their hopes of progressing from Group G in tatters as they are bottom with no points.

They will play Svay Rieng again on Nov 5 at the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh.