A burning Sun and a burning hype in the Criminals, the team took themselves and 6 other substitutes to the pitch today, with winning as their sole intention.

Reappearances from Left-Back Kevin and Johnathan were a welcomed sight amongst the Criminals' line-up, other fresh faces included Adi, Helmi, Hong Rong, Aaron and first-team youth prospect Ariff, Khalis' brother, were all used substitutes as well except the last mentioned.

A change of captaincy was made, from Shankar to Bright. Khalis was appointed vice-captain, leaving the junior vice-captain role uncovered.

A short cardio warm up with a jog and sprint followed by muscle stretches and the Criminals started with a quick pass-about and possession game. By then the referee had blown his whistle and the game was underway, the only change in the crooks' side was the absence of Jing, giving the team a 442 instead of the usual 451, presenting Jon with strike partner Adi.

Defense saw improvements from Don and Izzat, but center-backs bright and Shankar weren't at the top of their game, yet they managed to keep Matthew's strikers' quiet and subdued, not a single goal arised from their efforts. Especially the tries made by their head-bandaged striker, who was closed down by both center backs alternatingly, showing signs of improvement in their understanding of each other, a positive sign for the team.

The game flowed a bit in the first half, the spirit for winning was there, and it was forcefully felt from the attack-mindedness of the Criminals. Then, just when Jon seemed to have been caught off-side, a blunder from the Church's keeper laid the ball into his path, a goal and only a goal was the inevitable consequence. 1-nil to the Criminals!

Noticeably, the Criminals were having a lot of foul throws, which was a situation one is awkwardly caught in between when trying to decide to be frustrated or laugh. But fair game from the referee in the end, who was able to see through the despicable diving performed by the Church's left-winger.

The lead however, was celebrated only for a short while before an unmarked Church-goer headed in the ball from a freekick. Bad defending and lack of communication was again the villians' reocurring harmartia.

The draw, though immensely irritating, didn't dampen the team's spirits, but rather stoked the crooks' ire. Adi soon after zipped past a myriad of holy-boys and blew one into the net from a tight angle. Holy Cow! It was then a Holy Fucking 2-1 to the Criminals by half time!

The second half saw determination upped a few levels as Dasen and Zhisen tore the flanks apart. Partner work from Oliver and Khalis divided the Church's center, and many chances were created, but yet again, just lacking that important finishing blow, but fantastic work from both of them nonetheless.

Just as a win seemed easy for the taking by the crooks, tragedy struck a cruel blow midway through the first-quarter of the second-half. An opponent's corner was delivered and miscleared right into the foot of a rooted Khalis. The deflection ricoheted off his shin and into the net at an angle not even God himself could have saved. The holy boys got blessed in turn of a curse for us. 2 all the new score.

After that incident, the tempo seemed to remain the same, but the ball never found its way into the back of the opponent's net after Adi's last strike. By this time major changes were made to the side, with all 6 substitutes in place of several thieves. Even more ironically, Matthew's team took our proposed game ethic and played it against us. Surely had he been in a drama play or a movie, he and few others from his team would have gotten top prize. As coined by Oliver, he's the player to win the Oscar's next. But the Criminals weren't to blame, it was afterall, their own initiative to commit hara kiri on us.

Then a foul was created near the left edge of the penalty box, and Kevin stepped up to take it, but the odd angle saw the ball curl away from the far post, any closer and surely the portly keeper wouldn't have gotten to it.

Ariff was brave in goal, with several crucial saves made in both halves and a one-hander in the second that gave breath back to everyone looking on. The few blunders he made were immediately corrected by him and the goal mouth was a much cleaner place today.

With their energies put into framing the crooks at fault failed, the injury-faking virtuosos yet again benefitted from a triple defending error with a long shot. With 3-2 to the Criminals, and 18 minutes remainding, there was much to do with little time left.

The last minutes of the match saw intense charges up the field by Adi and the midfielders. Jon tried his best too, and blundered a chance at drawing equal when he thought himslf to be offside when he wasn't.

Khalis looking to amend for an own-goal unfairly and misintentionally forced upon him tried one from a distance, but the ball indifferently sailed over the bar. Helmi, who had blasted the ball against the former attempted several runs too, but was always closed down by a defense desperate to save themselves from further embarrassment.

The sound of the referee's whistle rang in the player's ears, but this time it wasn't as painful as it had been before, but rather more encouraging because the Criminals were one more step closer to a deserved win with the score against us kept low and the confidence levels in the team. Now all they need is another step, and they can truly SMACK THAT!!!