Sengkang Punggol maintained their confident start to the season as they held S.League champions SAFFC to a 1-1 draw in their season opener.
Conceding a first half goal, the Dolphins showed enough resolve after the break to fight back with a goal of their own and finish the game in charge.
Sengkang were under pressure in the first period, however, as the consistently impressive Therdsak Chaiman orchestrated a number of fast raids, but once in sight of goal the Thai, at least early on, was unable to find the target.
Then he carved out openings for Masrezwan Masturi twice within minutes. The former Woodlands Wellington man first tested Amos Boon with a low shot, then set up Aleksandar Duric with a penetrating cross in the 13th minute.
The big striker though spurned the opportunity which a player of his guile and experience would have been expected to take.
Duric though was soon to make a more positive impact.
In the 32nd minute the striker, wide out on the left, lifted a wonderful deep cross into the box and Chaiman ran through to meet it with a crisp header to send his side into a well deserved lead.
There was a worrying moment at the heart of the SAFFC defence when Daniel Bennett had to track back to clear off the line, as a mix-up between keeper Shahril Jantan and Hafiz Osman saw Paul Bekombo Ekollo lunge at the loose ball and steer it goalwards.
Sengkang did create a couple of first half chances, Jon Angelucci firing a free kick against the bar and Ross McKenzie just inches from laying on a plate another free kick intended for Ekollo who got a head to the ball only for the flag to be raised.
SAFFC coach Richard Bok was reasonably satisfied with that first half, but his rival coach, Trevor Morgan, read the riot act to his players at half time.
“We talked at half time in the dressing room,” he revealed after the game, “And I did all the talking!”
Clearly it worked as the Dolphins put in a much improved second half.
By the end Bok was throwing on substitutes to save a point.
“We still need to work on our shooting,” he admitted, “But the defence is also giving cause for concern.”
“John Wilkinson was wilting after his illness and we needed fresh legs. By the end I was happy to preserve a point.”
Sengkang earned that point in a way that would not have pleased Bok and his team.
The Dolphins won a corner on the left in the 73rd minute and Haris Sumri delivered the ball straight into the top right corner of the net, with defenders on the line unable to head clear and enough going on at the near post to distract everyone else.
Both teams missed more chances with Therdsak ballooning the ball over the bar once more and Noor Ali skimming a nicely chipped shot just over the bar towards the end.
Sengkang had a goal disallowed at the start of the second half after a push on the keeper and SAFFC also had the ball in the net themselves in the last minute.
But the referee had already whistled for an infringement on the edge of the area and brought play back for the free kick.
Therdsak Chaiman was an influential figure for the Warriors, took his goal well and never stopped running.
There was some stout defending by the Dolphins, too, with captain Mohd Mardani Fatahollah and Cole Tinkler outstanding and youngster Nabeel Yusoff showing steel in midfield.
With another 1-1 draw at home following their run in the SingTel League Cup, Sengkang are quickly proving to be a team with more resolve and quality than last season's edition.