Home United end Albirex's grip on domestic silverware.

Home United won a tightly fought game at Jalan Besar yesterday, ending their 5 year trophy drought and lifting the Community Shield after 4 failed attempts. Albirex Nigata's stranglehold on the Singaporean football scene has been broken and the stage set for a competitive year in the Singaporean Premier league.

It could have been very different. Home started nervously and gave the ball away carelessly a number of times in the first few minutes. On one occasion it took a last ditch challenge to prevent Albirex taking an early lead. However, Home soon settled down and began to retain possession well, probing the well organised Albirex defence but creating few chances of note. The Protectors clearly missed the attacking threat of Song Ui Yong and Isaka Cernak who were both worryingly absent from the starting match day squad, perhaps rested for the midweek visit of PSM in the AFC Cup. Home were reduced to a number of long range efforts and speculative crosses into the box that looked ideal for Song or Cernak had they been playing but instead evaded Shahril Ishak and Adam Swandi. In fact, despite Home having the majority of the ball and playing some nice football in midfield, it was Albirex's direct style of play that looked more likely to break the deadlock. Rudy Khairullah was forced to make a couple of decent saves and Albirex had a goal disallowed for a clear offside, not before the celebratory smoke had been set off.

Albirex head coach Keiji Shigetomi must have been worried at halftime. While the crowd was subjected to a half-time show which included a host of reluctant dancers, one overly keen match day steward strutting his stuff and the sight of me any my wife kissing being projected onto the new jumbo trons, he dragged off his two Singaporean players after they had completed the compulsory 45 minutes of football. Shigetomi later told reporters that he had always intended to take the two youngsters off at halftime and replace them with " Japanese players, who are able to retain the ball better".

Albirex improved in the second half and looked dangerous on a number of occasions. Kyogo Nakamura, the Swans' biggest threat, showed glimpses of what he could do this year, leaving the Home defence chasing shadows at one point as he skipped excitingly through the back line before his mazy dribble faulted and came to nothing. Home continued to enjoy good possession and right back Faritz Hameed looked dangerous going forward, as he often does. New boy Adam Swandi looked solid against his former club but seemed to be struggling to find a role that suited him. It is unclear how he will fit into the side once Song and Cernak make their much needed return to Home's front line.

The team's remained all square at full-time and the Community Shield went to penalties for only the second time. The goal looked huge but the pressure of the occasion and some Grobbelaar like antics from both keepers saw both teams miss their second penalties. When Faritz missed Home's third spot kick, it seemed like Home's luck had run out only for the crossbar to come to Home's rescue. The Russian roulette of penalties went into sudden death, Home seemed under more pressure as they were taking the second penalty and had to match the Japanese players' coolness under pressure as penalty number six was stroked home by both teams. However, luck was on the side of Home when Albirex Niigata's seventh penalty smashed against the underside of the bar before bouncing clear. It all came down to Hami Syahin, who had impressed during the 90 minutes in a deeper role than usual. The youngster showed no signes of nerves and smashed the penalty home delighting the Home fans and leaving Albirex's young cheerleaders looking confused, for many of them this was the first time they had tasted defeat.

Many of the 4,626 fans, who had created a great atmosphere in the stadium, sat through a long wait before the shield was presented. An almost comical delay with setting up the stage on the pitch was made slightly more entertaining by the sight of the Home Players' children playing an impromptu kick-about on the pitch. Albirex looked distraught as they collected their losers medals, in contrast to Home who even found time to sing 'happy birthday' to veteran Juma'at Jantan. The roar that went up when Izzdim Shafiq lifted the trophy was a release of pressure built up over the three years of watching the Japanese team dominate Singapore's domestic game. The White Swans look beatable this year, can we start to dream that a Singaporean team will lift the Singaporean Premier league this year? One thing is for sure, it looks like it's going to be a much closer season.