Protectors and Etoile played to a thrilling draw

Home United and French side Etoile FC played to thrilling 3-3 draw at Clementi Stadium

The Protectors were shocked by the French side right from the start as the Stars (Etoile FC nickname) took the lead with their first attack as midfielder Kevin Yann slipped the ball to Boudjema on the left after winning possession, and from the wide man’s cross, Mendy managed to beat Valery Hiek to a header on the run.

Then, later in the match Matthias Verschave added a second with a penalty before Home got one back as former Korean international Choi Chul Woo headed an Isa Halim cross beyond Morandini’s reach and in off a goalpost.

However, the Stars still went into the half with a two-goal advantage as Karim Boudjema added a well-taken third.

In the second half, after a 'talk' by their coach, the Protectors finally show their true colour as they emerged from the dressing room.

And the substitutes make their claim for the starting 11 as El-Masri, on already in the first half, scooped the ball past Morandini and into the net despite being entangled with defender Nordine Talhi while Zulfadli took 20 minutes to get his name on the scoresheet as he latched onto a moment of confusion in the Etoile defence, nine minutes from time, and fired a low shot from outside the area past a sea of men, and Morandini saw the ball too late to prevent it from bulging the net.

Home were back and had threaten to take all three points but it would have been harsh on Etoile who played well in the first period.

In all, a great advertisement for the S-league as both played attacking entertaining football and Etoile just passed their first real test of the season but more are sure to come now.

Home United
Lionel Lewis, Juma’at Jantan, Shariff Samat, Valery Hiek, Isa Halim, Sharil Ishak (C), Shi Jiayi, (Sherif El-Masri) Nelson San Martin, (Zulfadli Zainal Abidin) Tengku Mushadad , Choi Chul Woo, (Firdaus Indros) Shahril Alias