DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean is determined to preserve their unbeaten streak as they bid to displace Tampines Rovers in second place in the S League at the Jurong West Stadium in Singapore tonight.

Kean's men will go a point clear of the Stags if they succeed with all three points in a must-win encounter although they would have played two games more than their fierce rivals.

The `Gear Gegar' men currently enjoy good form having only lost once in the last 13 games in all competitions and are on a four-match winning sequence.

"We want to keep the unbeaten run going. We're trying to chase second spot so if we can beat Tampines, and if we beat Balestier in our last game, who knows what would happen with Albirex and Tampines," said Kean in an interview with the Media after a training session on Thursday.

"We can finish second. That has to be the objective though the last three seasons it would have been us finishing in the top two which is fantastic so that's our motivation.

"We generate the pressure for ourselves because as far as the league is concerned there is no pressure on us. We want to finish the season strong," added Kean.

DPMM FC will be boosted with the return of attacking duo Paulo Sergio from injury and Azwan.

However, they will miss the services of captain Rosmin Kamis and Maududi Hilmi Kasmi who are suspended from the game after being cautioned in the Garena Young Lions game on Monday.

The head coach believes they might start as favourites heading into the encounter against the Stags who was recently eliminated from the AFC Cup after a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Bengaluru in the quarterfinals.

"We probably start as favourites. Even though we are playing in Singapore, the thing for us is we're the team in the whole of S League that scores the most goals so scoring a goal is never going to be a problem and creating chances is never going to be a problem," he said.

DPMM FC boasted the best offensive record in the S League having scored 46 goals, one more than league leaders Albirex Niigata (S) prior to the latter's match against Warriors last night.

However, he exercised caution to his players not to drop their heads following a brief revival from Young Lions game.

"We need to make sure that we learn from the other night when we played against the Young Lions that the game is never finished. It doesn't matter that if you're 1, 2 or 3 up and even if you're 4 up, we've got to keep going.

"I'm not suggesting that we are going to be 4 up as early against Tampines but if we do get up we got to keep our concentration and we've got to keep our focus because that's what we gave up in our last game.

"I don't think Tampines will be looking forward to be playing against us because as you say we are the team that got the best form," he added.

Two years ago in Kean's first season in his reign as head coach, Tampines Rovers played the role of party poopers after their victory over DPMM FC ensured Warriors FC snatch the S League title on the final day of the season.

The `Gegar Gegar' men can exact redemption as a defeat for the Stags mean that Albirex Niigata (S) would only need three points from their last three games to win the title.

Asked if there is a fire in the belly for each of his charges involved during that fateful fixture, Kean replied that they have now overcame their psychological barrier against Tampines.

"I think especially the players that's still in the squad, obviously there's a little bit of a turnaround with the squad rotation, we always find the game against Tampines difficult. I always think I can never work out before I arrived we somehow had a psychological barrier," said Kean.

"We never beaten Tampines and obviously that changed. We feel as though it doesn't matter who we're playing against us now We just want to keep going.

"This is probably our best run for consecutive games won so we always try to do our best and keep the run going," he further added.

Kean emphasised that the 5-0 mauling at Home United in May has resulted in significant changes in the team.

"It changed a lot. First of all, it was a slap in the face any time you lose five goals. And then what we've done then is we dramatically changed the system.

"We normally have always played with a back four but now we changed with a back five when we don't have the ball and a back three if we do have possession.

"We spent numerous hours on the training ground working on the change of
the system and that's benefited the team and the result showed that. The players deserved credit for that because when you get those amounts of hours on the training ground it gives you a platform to work on and a new focus.

"I got to give credit to the players because since the 5-0 defeat we've been outstanding," added the former Blackburn Rovers manager.

Reduan Petara, who Kean said was unfortunate to concede a penalty during the Young Lions victory, will be deputising Rosmin in defence while Azwan Salleh, who was instrumental in the same game and Hendra Azam look poised to retain their places.

Kean added that the Tampines players will also be fighting for a place in the Singapore Cup final against Albirex Niigata (S).

"They'll want to finish the season on a high and their players are also playing for a place in the Singapore Cup final.

"Nobody can just switch off and play poorly and everybody wants to play in a cup final.

"It will be a difficult game but we're confident if we can keep playing especially if we play the way we did in the first 40 minutes which I thought was the best we've played all season against the Young Lions," said the head coach.

Kean thinks the title race will be over if they do Albirex a big favour and Tampines slip up though the Japanese satellite team dropped points after losing 2-0 to Warriors last night.

"We just got to focus on us and try to keep our unbeaten run going," he concluded.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

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