Defending champions Warriors FC are looking to follow up on their impressive 4-1 mauling of Home United when they host Hougang United at the Woodlands Stadium on Thursday evening.
First-half goals from new boy Fazrul Nawaz (two), Nicolas Velez and Kevin McCann set the tone for the emphatic victory, although Kamel Ramdani did score a consolation after the break.
While admitting that the margin of victory was slightly flattering, Emmeric Ong believes his side showed why they have what it takes to retain the Great Eastern Yeo's S.League title.
"I'm sure after the 6-0 defeat to Albirex Niigata (S), many people are thinking that we'll be easier to beat this season," he told ESPN FC. "That's why we're determined to prove our doubters wrong, to show that we are still the defending champions and you have to fight to get points off us."
"Perhaps the score line didn't really reflect the game; both sides had chances and it was just that we were more clinical in front of goal and converted most of our chances. Fazrul came in and gave a different dimension with his aerial presence, which can only be good for the team."
With Thomas Beattie still recovering from a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury, Ong grabbed the opportunity to start in the middle of the park and he impressed in that position against Home.
It was also his first league start for the club since joining from the LionsXII in the off-season, having previously only seen 27 minutes of action. He is now hoping to continue his good form and keep the English midfielder out of the side for as long as possible.
"Of course when I came here, I didn't expect to be playing in midfield because I was playing as a right-back or a centre-back in the last few years," he shared. "But I came to this club because (assistant) coach Kevin (Wee) knew me from my polytechnic and Prime League days. Once Beattie was injured, he suggested to coach (Alex) Weaver that I can stand in for him.
"I think I showed enough in the Albirex game that I warrants a place in the starting eleven, so I hope to continue this run and try to keep Beattie out as long as possible."
Apart from the man himself, other reserves like goalkeeper Daniel Ong and right-back Nur Asyidiq also excelled in that game -- a factor which Ong believes will bode well for the side in the long run.
"Just like me, both of them having been waiting for their opportunities and they have proven that they can do the job when called upon," said the 24-year-old. "Daniel made a lot of vital saves for us to keep the score down and Asyidiq did very well to mark out (Sirina) Camara, who kept trying to get down his flank."
Their next task is to take down a struggling Hougang outfit, which have yet to win a game after five games played. Three draws and two defeats means they come into this game third-from-bottom, but Ong is keen not to take a victory for granted.
"I've watched a few of their games this season. Although they haven't won a game, they have put up some good performances," he highlighted. "So we can't be going into this game thinking that they are pushovers. We have to go in with the same mentality as the game against Home and it's important that we take as many points as possible to stay in the title race."
Warriors FC Probable Lineup: Daniel Ong (GK), Nur Asyidiq, Daniel Bennett, Marin Vidosevic, Irwan Shah, Kevin McCann, Emmeric Ong, Hafiz Rahim, Nicolas Velez, Miroslav Pejic, Fazrul Nawaz.
Hougang United Probable Lineup: Ridhuan Bahrudin (GK), Faizal Amir, Yuki Uchiyama, Kunihiro Yamashita, Faiz Salleh, Fairoz Hasan, Renshi Yamaguchi, Shunsuke Nakatake, Nurhilmi Jasni (C), Fareez Farhan, Francisco "Chupe" Ela.