Brunei DPMM breaks nine-match winless streak with 4-2 victory over Geylang International

SINGAPORE – Jamie McAllister's introduction to the Singapore Premier League (SPL) has been far from easy since taking over as Brunei DPMM coach in July.

In four matches under the Scot, the team lacked cohesion and purpose as they struggled to two losses and two draws, scoring just twice and conceding seven goals. Confidence was also rock-bottom as they were winless in nine matches.

On Aug 24 at the Jalan Besar Stadium, his wide smile and passion-filled hugs with his players told the story as he got his first win as DPMM boss. They threw the form book out of the window and ended their wretched run with a 4-2 victory over Geylang International.

DPMM’s last win was on May 25, when they beat Albirex Niigata 4-1 and few had expected the Bruneian side to end their insipid run against the third-placed Eagles.

McAllister, 46, said he had found a side “very, very low on confidence” when he was appointed and had worked on “lifting the spirits and working on basics”.

He added: “The lads have been superb in the last weeks and have taken on board what I’m trying to implement. We had been working hard on being organised, being disciplined... pressing better and being clinical in front of goal.”

With the 2024-25 SPL season being a four-round format that will end only in May 2025, McAllister wants the win to be a catalyst for his side to prove their mettle for the rest of the campaign.

Victory took DPMM up a rung to seventh, two points above Albirex.

McAllister said: “Today we beat a very good side. We got to build on it. When you play against a very good team, and you score four against them, that is a good sign of progress.”

DPMM opened accounts in the fifth minute when Miguel Oliveira raced through and slotted past Geylang goalkeeper Rudy Khairullah.

Oliveira turned provider in the 32nd minute when his cross was diverted into goal by Mexican striker Julio Cruz. The visitors then scored their third goal in the 39th minute through Hakeme Yazid.

Picking up from where they left off, DPMM made it 4-0 after the break when Hakeme fired a shot past Rudy in the 62nd minute before the Eagles halved the deficit via SPL top scorer Tomoyuki Doi in the 64th and 66th minutes.

Defeat for Geylang meant that the gap between them and league-leading BG Tampines Rovers remains at nine points, with the Eagles having played a game more.

Coach Noor Ali said: “The truth is that we were poor in the first half, we showed no urgency. DPMM came here with a game plan and they executed that well.”