Singapore leave it late to beat Timor-Leste 3-0 in ASEAN football championship

SINGAPORE: It took 76 minutes for Singapore to break the deadlock against Timor-Leste but a penalty from Kyoga Nakamura and a quickfire Shawal Anuar double were enough to keep the Lions' unbeaten run at the ASEAN football championship going.

At the Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi, Singapore were second-best in the first half against a side ranked 196th in the FIFA rankings. Tsutomu Ogura's men stepped up their game in the second 45, however, and would take the victory.

The result means that Singapore move to the top of Group A with six points. Malaysia have four points after two games, while Thailand have three points after one game.

Cambodia are the other side in the group, along withTimor Leste, who have yet to take a point.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals of the tournament, which is also known as the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup.

Ogura made seven changes to the side which beat Cambodia, but it was Timor-Leste who looked much sharper from the off. 

And they could have gone 1-0 up within eight minutes, after Lionel Tan was dispossessed by the lively Joao Pedro. The Timor-Leste skipper's long-range chip looked to have beaten Izwan Mahbud, but rebounded off the post.

While Timor-Leste were demolished 10-0 by Thailand in their opening fixture, they were much improved against Malaysia, and led 2-1 before eventually losing 2-3.

The best chance of the half for Singapore came in the 15th minute, but Hami Syahin's shot fizzed wide.

Joao Pedro continued to be a thorn in Singapore's side as he almost pounced on another loose pass, but could not take the ball past an onrushing Izwan.

Singapore had the ball in the back of the net early in the second half courtesy of Lion City Sailors' Abdul Rasaq. But the