GLOBAL DEMOLISHED BY DPMM IN SEVEN-GOAL ROUT

Written by: Phoon Jia Hui

Roy O’Donovan’s hat-trick helped Brunei DPMM to a 7-0 thumping of Global FC in their RHB Singapore Cup tie at Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday evening as they qualified for the quarter-finals in style.

Also getting onto the scoresheet were Rodrigo Tosi who grabbed a brace, as well as substitutes Shahrazen Said and Azwan Saleh as Global’s run in the competition came to a premature end.  

Weakened by the absence of players away on international duty with Philippines, the Global defence found it hard to contain a deadly DPMM strikeforce comprising Tosi and O’Donovan. 

DPMM on the other hand were missing Roberto Alviz who was sidelined due to a hamstring injury as captain Rosmin Kamis started on the bench with Joe Gamble and Hendra Azam starting in the heart of midfield.

The opening exchanges saw the two teams cancel each other out and chances were at a premium as the first chance of note came after only 31 minutes.

It was O’Donovan who sent a looping header over from Helmi Zambin’s cross before Boris Raspudic headed wide off Hendra’s corner delivery minutes later. 

O’Donovan then should have scored to put his side ahead on 39 minutes but could only fire straight at Jose Pascual after latching onto Tosi’s through pass.     

The restart saw Global come out of the break strongly as they fashioned two decent chances in the space of two minutes through Mark Hartmann although none found the net.

However, it did not take long for the deadlock to be broken as it did in the 58th minute when an unmarked Tosi headed Sairol Sahari’s deep cross past a rooted Pascual with the floodgates opening thereafter.

O’Donovan doubled the lead for the designated visitors a minute later after he was sent racing clear, lifting the ball beyond the onrushing Pascual.

It was then three goals to the good for the Wasps when Tosi netted with another header for his second of the night on 71 minutes before a defensive mix-up seven minutes later saw O’Donovan bulge the net again to make it 4-0.

The misery was not over for Leigh Manson’s side though, as there was still time for more goals.

Azwan’s low shot was deflected into the bottom corner on 80 minutes and O’Donovan then completed his hat-trick at the end of regulation time, leaving a defender in his wake before calmly slotting past Pascual.

The scoring was completed in stoppage time when Shahrazen fired past Pascual from 20 yards to cap off an impressive second-half performance from DPMM who will join the likes of defending champions Home United and Tampines Rovers in the last eight of the Singapore Cup.

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