The Lion City Sailors took a significant step towards qualifying for the semi-finals of the 2024/25 Singapore Cup on Sunday (16 March) night, as they notched a commanding 4-1 win against Balestier Khalsa at the Bishan Stadium to maintain their perfect record in the competition.

While both sides had their share of missed chances, a hat-trick from Bart Ramselaar and a goal from Song Uiyoung cemented the Sailors’ hold on second place in Group B – they are now just one point behind leaders BG Pathum United, who have played a game more.

Although Sailors head coach Aleksandar Ranković admitted post-match that the short turnaround between games may have taken a toll on his side, he still felt they should have wrapped up the win much earlier.

“It was a little difficult for us, as we had just played a huge  game against Sanfrecce (Hiroshima) midweek, and at times, we squandered one or two chances too easily,” explained Ranko. “Our finishing in front of goal was frustrating — we should have scored six or seven. However, I’m glad that we fought until the end and collected three important points.”

Even without their injured talisman Maxime Lestienne, the Sailors showed no struggles going forward, as Song — who missed both legs of his side’s AFC Champions League (ACL) Two quarter-finals due to suspension — gave the home side the perfect start in the eighth minute.

Picking up the ball in midfield, the Incheon native spotted Shawal Anuar’s run and played him through. Shawal then returned the favour with a pinpoint pass, allowing Song to finish first-time into the net. That marked his 16th goal in 29 appearances against the Tigers — making Balestier the team he has scored against the most in his career.

Despite Balestier enjoying much possession early on, the Sailors absorbed the pressure well and looked to hit the Tigers on the counter. That strategy paid off handsomely, as the Sailors doubled their lead in the 25th minute when Bart drove infield before curling a precise shot into the far corner of the net, leaving Balestier custodian Hafiz Ahmad with no chance.

The Sailors nearly extended their advantage again in the 49th minute, but Hafiz produced a smart double-save — denying Bart before keeping out Lennart Thy’s follow-up.

Three minutes later, the Tigers struck back as Kodai Tanaka — who had been well-marshalled by the Sailors’ defence — sprang into action. Reacting quickest after Masahiro Sugita’s long-range effort cannoned off the crossbar, the ex-Sailor tapped into an empty net to hand the visitors a lifeline.

At the other end, the two Sailors goalscorers nearly combined for a third in the 65th minute when Bart slipped Song through on goal, but Hafiz was quick off his line to smother the shot.

Tanaka then had two gilt-edged chances to level the score late in the second half.

He was first denied by a crucial save from Zharfan Rohaizad in the 82nd minute after latching onto a long ball over the top from Darren Teh. The Japanese forward had another chance four minutes later, when he found space in the box for a clear header at goal, but his tame effort was easily collected by Zharfan.

Tanaka’s missed chances served as a reminder to the Sailors not to be complacent, with Bart emphasising the need to kill the game off when given the chance.

“We needed to finish the game earlier, as we had three or four big chances that we didn’t take. This cannot happen again, as opponents like Kodai are very dangerous in the box, so we were fortunate he didn’t capitalise on them,” he said.

Ultimately, though, those misses proved costly for Balestier, as a fired-up Bart — having been denied multiple times throughout the match — cut onto his right foot in the 87th minute and fired a shot past the despairing dive of Hafiz to put his side 3-1 up.

Young substitute Nathan Mao almost got in on the action, but his close-range effort was heroically cleared off the line by the recovering Abdil Qaiyyim in the final minute of regulation time.

However, Bart would not be denied his first hat-trick for the club, as he rifled a free-kick into the top corner in the second minute of injury time — his fifth goal in just two Singapore Cup matches.

“We’ve played a lot of games in a row, but this was an important win, taking us a big step closer to the semi-finals,” said Bart. “The final months of the season are always crucial, as that’s when trophies are won — and the cup is one of them. It means a lot to us.

“The schedule is going to get even busier, but we are professionals, and it’s always great to be playing football. Other than the national team players, the rest of us now have a few days off, so it’s time to recharge and go again in April.”

The Sailors will face Geylang International next in the Singapore Cup on Thursday (27 March), just after the March FIFA international window, before taking on Thai side BG Pathum in their final Group B clash three days later on Sunday (30 March).

They need just a point from their last two games to secure a second consecutive Singapore Cup semi-final berth, having won the trophy last season.