BULUT GIVES AUSTRALIA WIN IN GRAND FINAL

The score at the end of regulation and ensuing extra time was 1-1 with Ali Muneer Redha scoring first for Bahrain the 44th minute before Marc Warren headed in the equaliser three minutes to the end.

“We started pretty slowly all week and we were a little nervous but these boys are still growing up and they have to learn the need to settle early,” said Martyn Crook, the head coach for Australia.

“But we settled down a bit and I believe that the team will just have to grow with this tournament.”

Bahrain came out with all guns blazing and dictated the early rhythm as Australia do much of the defending in the opening quarter.

In the 13th minute, Bahrain created a double chance off Ali Habib Haji and Ahmed Isa Ali but Australian keeper Lawrance Andrew Thomas was up to the task.

Five minutes later, Australia came back with a one-timer from Nikola Stanojevic which narrowly missed the top right hand corner as the game then fell to a midfield battle.

In the 30th minute, a bad pass from Australian captain Brendan Michael Hamill almost gifted Bahrain the goal while a minute later, a header from lanky defender Sayed Hashem Adnan Mahfood went well over the crossbar.

But there was no denying Bahrain the lead when off a quick counter-attack a cross from Ahmed playing the ball to Ali Habib before Ali Muneer came in from the blind side to slam the ball home.

The break brought a change to the Australian game where they pressed Bahrain much to their own half.

And they created several chances with Kerem Bulut going wide on 53rd minute while in the 70th minute; Million Mwenge Busthire had his attempt saved by Naser Mahboob.

With Bahrain defender Sayed Hashem doing a great job to shut own Bulut, the goal came late in the game off a defender.

Three minutes to the end, a corner from Kamal Ibrahim saw Marc Warren jumping high for a looping header which went into goal to force the game into extra-time.

After yet another half hour of deadlock, the penalty kicks saw both captains – Australia’s Brendan Michael Hamill and Bahrain’s Salman Ahmed Aldakheel missing their kicks.

With the penalty level at four apiece, the miss by Bahrain Abdulla Khalifa Mohamed allowed Bulut to place the ball to the left of Bahraini keeper Naser for the win.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE and RESULTS

09/07/08
AUSTRALIA 2 BAHRAIN 1
SINGAPORE 0 MALAYSIA 2

11/07/08
BAHRAIN 1 SINGAPORE 0
INDONESIA 0 AUSTRALIA 6

13/07/08
AUSTRALIA 4 MALAYSIA 1
BAHRAIN 2 INDONESIA 0

15/07/08
MALAYSIA 2 INDONESIA 0
SINGAPORE 1 AUSTRALIA 1

17/07/08
INDONESIA 1 SINGAPORE 1
MALAYSIA 1 BAHRAIN 1

19/07/08
(Third/Fourth Placing)
MALAYSIA 3 SINGAPORE 0

(Grand Final)
AUSTRALIA 5 BAHRAIN 4
Score at end of extra-time 1-1