KUCHING: Hope FC’s steady rise continued over the past week, with manager, Bryan Cheong, expressing pride in his squad’s work ethic.
This came after a 1-0 win against Holdfast FC in the Liga Bandaraya and a spirited 3-2 friendly showing against Sarawak Premier League side, PDRM FC.
Cheong said the players showed character and commitment in both outings, noting that the friendly against PDRM offered valuable exposure against a higher-level opponent.
“I feel proud of the boys putting in the effort to get the win even though it’s a friendly.
“It was really good for us to test ourselves against high-level opposition, and huge credit to PDRM for the chance to play against them, as it wasn’t an easy game at all,” he told Sarawak Tribune.
Hope FC had edged Holdfast FC 1-0 last weekend, courtesy of a brilliant strike from Aril Rozni, who latched onto an assist from Denilson Dylan Demendra to secure all three points.
Cheong described the win as an important response after earlier setbacks.
“Good bounce back from the boys. We really had to dig in and work hard for that win against a tough and solid team, and make up for the lost point from the previous loss,” he said.
“A few loose balls here and there, but you really can’t fault the effort from everyone involved.”
He also singled out Aril for his decisive moment of quality.
“A special shoutout to Aril for his screamer of a goal as well,” he added.
With momentum on their side, Cheong said the team will now focus on their upcoming matches and continue taking it “game by game”.
