The Lion City Sailors Women’s Team bounced back from midweek heartbreak with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Tiong Bahru in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on Sunday (21 September).
With four matches left to play, the Sailors sit third on 28 points — nine points behind leaders Still Aerion with two games in hand. And while their hopes of a fourth straight WPL crown have faded, the team are determined to finish the season on a high.
“The team has quality all over the pitch, and if everyone keeps working hard and sticking together, I’m confident we can finish strong,” said debutant Sailors goalkeeper Hazel Lim.
The 23-year-old, who arrived with experience playing in Australia, was called into action early, making a crucial 17th-minute save to deny fellow Singapore international Lim Li Xian in a one-on-one situation.
“It felt good to get that early stop in,” said Hazel. “As a keeper, those little moments matter the most and I’m glad I could contribute. It also helped settle the nerves and gave me confidence for the rest of the game.”
That opportunity aside, the Sailors started brightly and carved out a flurry of openings. Sarah Zu’risqha forced Tiong Bahru goalkeeper Larissa Ortmann into a save inside three minutes, while Dorcas Chu, Farah Nurzahirah and Sarah herself all went close but could not apply the finishing touch.
Despite soaking up pressure in the first half, Tiong Bahru grew in confidence after the restart and pushed forward with a few threatening forays, but the Sailors’ backline held firm.
“I think they grew in confidence after holding us goalless in the first half, and that’s where we suffered. With that confidence, they tried to attack us,” Farah explained.
The Sailors’ breakthrough finally came in the 80th minute. Substitute Mira Ruzana, introduced just seven minutes earlier, unleashed a deflected shot that fell kindly for Farah, who pounced to steer it home.
It was her fourth consecutive game on the scoresheet, and took her Sailors tally to nine goals.
“I felt relieved and happy to get the three points for us today. I’m really proud to have been able to score as much as I have,” said the 21-year-old forward, who has a combined total of 20 goals for the Sailors and former side Geylang in 2025.
“With that, I’ve gained more determination to score even more in these last few games and help the team.”
Hazel added, “We created plenty of chances, which is a positive, but just couldn’t put them away as cleanly as we’d like. We kept pushing until the end and stayed patient, and eventually the breakthrough came.
“It was a huge lift for everyone when it finally went in. Tiong Bahru took more risks after conceding, but we stayed organised and managed it well at the back.”
The Sailors now turn their attention to Still Aerion — the side that beat them in dramatic fashion last Wednesday — as they look to make amends with three points next Sunday (28 September).
“We need to work a lot more on our touches, passing, communication and playing as a team. The goal now is to win all our remaining games,” said Farah.
“To the team, I would say we’re doing great together. Let’s keep pushing and not give up until the end.”
