DPMM FC remained in good spirits ahead of the Geylang International FC home game at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in the S League tonight knowing that they have every chance of three points if they replicate a similar performance to their last match.

DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean hailed his side's performance against league leaders Albirex Niigata (S) which were not matched with the result adding that he could see the reaction of the Albirex officials on escaping the contest with all three points let alone a point.

"The expression of the Albirex staff said it all when they got the points and they were very pleased with the points. The fact that they got all three they could not believe it," said Kean in an interview after a training session at the Jerudong Mini Stadium yesterday.

Albirex extended their lead over fourth-placed DPMM FC to nine points following their 3-0 win over beleaguered Garena Young Lions on Thursday but Kean is not concerned the gap.

"If we produce the level of performance that we did against Albirex where we were way better than them, I'm sure that we can pick up more points than Albirex by the time they came back to Brunei."

Kean remained confident that the reigning S League holders can accumulate more points than Albirex by the time the visit of the current league leaders in August.

He also indicated that a home victory would enable them to pull a distance if they conjure a much improved form than their string of results in the first round.

"When they come back to Brunei and if we can beat them assuming that we pick up more points than them between now and then, then we will be ahead of them," he continued.

Kean said he would have been more concerned if they do not maintain the same level of performance.

"We limited them to next to nothing. They ran out of ideas because we defended so well where we picked up all the second balls and we controlled the game.

"We need to push on and we have done a lot of work from the defending side making sure that we can get a clean sheet."

Kean said that their match against Albirex would have been the performance of the season if they had taken away the result.

He has also exercised caution that the Eagles will not be a straightforward test adding that they have to work their socks off to earn the win.

"I'm sure they wouldn't want to be in a run without winning games so it will be tricky and a tough game," the head coach added.

Midfielder Najib Tarif has been installed as the replacement for Sairol Sahari who has been ruled out for the rest of the season after injuring his anterior cruciate ligament.

With Najib's preferred position as a winger, the former MS PDB player would be required to step up to defensive duties as a left back vacated by Sairol.

However, Najib would have been able to acclimatise to the defensive aspect of his game having occupied the left back position in the last four months of training.

The head coach has ensured that Najib is ready to fit into the left back role to provide cover for Sairol in the event that the first-choice defender misses game through suspension or injury.

"I can see that with Sai's age and possibly getting suspended or picking up a few knocks, we needed somebody in that left-back role. He has not been playing as a winger at all in training and has been playing in the left back.

"He now knows that his first priority is to defend and that second as a bonus is to attack. He needs to make sure that he can do the defending and he's done it really well," he added.

Kean also added that Sairol's unfortunate injury nightmare presents an opportunity for Najib to establish himself in the first team.

"He has to grab the opportunity and go on and play and try to establish himself.

"He's played loads of first team games more in an attacking role but the way we play we like to get the full-backs forward and crossing.

"He's very quick so he needs to concentrate on his one v one defending," he concluded.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

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