KUCHING: Hope FC triumphed 4-0 over Hope FC bounce back with 4-0 win over GTD FC in Liga Bandaraya in a hard-fought victory during a Liga Bandaraya match on Sunday (Dec 8).
Hope FC dominated much of the first half and took the lead when forward Denilson Dylan Demendra headed in a corner to give his team a 1-0 advantage.
Hope FC player-manager Bryan Cheong was vocal from the sidelines, urging his team to maintain control and handle the physicality that GTD FC brought to the match.
“I honestly feel confident in my team and knew we would get there; it was just a matter of time. Everyone is performing, and you can see the chemistry on the field — it’s really good.
“I think it’s just the heat that made it a bit harder for us because we’re so used to playing in different conditions. But once we adjusted, everyone was good,” he told Sarawak Tribune after the match at Field C, Petra Jaya yesterday (Dec 8).
In the second half, the men in pink were more compact in midfield, frequently sending long balls forward to bypass GTD FC’s high defensive line, which was possibly designed to catch Hope FC offside.
Hope FC’s strategy paid off, with the goals coming from Aril Rozni, who ran down the right flank and blasted the ball past GTD’s goalkeeper for the second goal.
The third goal came from Ericson Teo, showing excellent ball control that left defenders scrambling.
Ericson added a second goal, his team’s fourth, using his tall frame to power past two defenders and skilfully manoeuvre through their defence to score, securing all three points for Hope FC.
Cheong was pleased with how his team performed on the pitch, praising the players for giving their all in a challenging but well-deserved win.
“I’m just proud of my team, proud of the boys. As usual, they just do their best.
“I think today everything just clicked, and that’s where we are right now. We’ll keep trying to win and push as high up the table as we can,” he added.
Hope FC had lost 2-3 to Mixture FT in their previous Liga Bandaraya match, but they bounced back strongly from that defeat.
“Good bounce-back from last week’s loss. I think everyone did well; there wasn’t any standout performer, but it’s the confidence that helped us.
“The team is very united, and that’s how we got through. It was a 4-0 victory,” Cheong said.
