THUMPING WIN FOR AUSTRALIA

The score at the end of the first half was 3-0 in favour of the Australians with goals coming off Breandan Hamill (in the 15th minute), Kerem Bulut (25th) and Tedros Alemaw Yabio (32nd).

They then added three more goals after the break from an own goal off Muhammad Abduh Lestaluhu (48th), Kamal Ibrahim (57th) and Joseph Costa (83rd).

“We were very well prepared for this game although I never expected to win by such a margin,” said Martyn Crook, the head coach for Australia.

“It was a good team performance.”

Backed by more than 2,000 fans at the stand, the Indonesian youth side was first off the block where in the eighth minute, Achmad Resal Octavian broke through the left but striker Tommy Veriyanto could not head the ball in.

Gaining strength with each stride, Australia broke the confidence of the Indonesians when they slammed home the lead off Hamill, who made good on a free kick from the left off Jared Lum.

Under pressure, Indonesia’s failure to stick to the game saw them falling even further behind when Nikola Stanojevic squared the ball to Bulut, who flicked the ball over Indonesian keeper Egha Putra Mahardika.

And some seven minutes later, Stanojevic was again in the thick of the action when his cross found the waiting Yabio, who had little difficulty in putting the ball into the net for Australia’s third goal of the evening.

The second half saw a more determined Indonesian side taking to the field but even before they could build on it, they fell further behind when Lestaluhu put the ball into his own net.

Australia took their foot off the pedal after that but with Indonesia losing confidence; it did not take long for the visitors to nail their fifth game of the game off Ibrahim from close range.

Coast then put the final touch of the evening with the sixth and final goal seven minutes to the end from a cross off Ibrahim.

“Six weeks are not enough and the fact that several players suffered cramps proved that we are not very well prepared for this match,” said Mundari Karya, the head coach for Indonesia.

“We will just have to pick up the pieces from this match and improve in our next game (against Bahrain).”

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
1600 WIB: Australia vs Malaysia
1900 WIB: Bahrain vs Indonesia

15/07/08
1600 WIB: Malaysia vs Indonesia
1900 WIB: Singapore vs Australia

17/07/08
1600 WIB: Indonesia vs Singapore
1900 WIB: Malaysia vs Bahrain

19/07/08
1600 WIB: Third vs Fourth
1900 WIB: First vs Second (Grand Final)