Tampines Rovers began their Premier League campaign with a 2:0 victory over Balestier Khalsa at the Tampines Hub on Thursday. The home side took control early through an own goal and saw their advantage extended late on, while the visitors could only manage one shot on target all afternoon.
T. Salamat turned the ball into his own net in the 28th minute, giving the hosts an unexpected lead. The visitors tried to respond, and a goal looked to be coming in stoppage time before the referee cancelled it after a VAR review. To be fair, the momentum had shifted, but the caution kept things level at 1-0.
Substitutions came thick and fast in the second half as both managers looked for answers. M. Kuzminski came off for Tampines in the 62nd minute, while H. Higashikawa finally broke the deadlock in the 87th minute with a clinical finish. By then, the visitors had grown tired and were reduced to defending deep.
Discipline became an issue as the match wore on. D. Goh collected a yellow card for the hosts in the 42nd minute, while S. Shahiran and F. Iyadh went off the ball for Balestier Khalsa. Five substitutions were made in total, with both managers changing their approaches.
The statistics told a story of missed opportunities. Tampines Rovers registered 3 shots on target from 73 attacks, while Balestier Khalsa managed just 1 shot on target from 70 attacks. Possession was virtually even at 49-51, but the visitors could not convert their territory into chances.
The result leaves both sides on zero points after the opening round, though the home side will take more from a clean sheet than the visitors. The goal difference remains neutral, but the confidence gained from keeping things tight could prove valuable when the next fixture arrives.