Balestier Khalsa's eight-match unbeaten run in the Great Eastern-Yeo's S.League ended on Sunday night when they were defeated 4-2 by defending champions Warriors FC at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
A brace from Fazrul Nawaz plus goals from Miroslav Pejic and Hafiz Rahim saw the Warriors race to an unassailable 4-0 lead. Then Miroslav Kristic pulled two back late on for the Tigers, who played the majority of the second half with just nine men.
On a hazy night in Singapore, Balestier created the first chance after just nine minutes, but Kristic was unable to convert from Zulkiffli Hassim's cutback.
The Tigers would live to rue that missed opportunity as the Warriors went on to score two in quick succession.
Hafiz's clever ball over the top on the 15th minute caught the Balestier defence sleeping as Fazrul took no invitations to clip home a first-time finish past the onrushing Zaiful Nizam. Four minutes later, Pejic strode onto Kevin McCann's neat slide-rule pass before lashing into the bottom right corner from an acute angle.
Marko Kraljevic's side came into the second half looking to reduce the two-goal deficit, but were let down by their own ill discipline.
On 53 minutes, Yusiskandar was shown a straight red card by referee Muhd Syahir for an illegal challenge on Pejic. Two minutes later, Poh Yifeng followed suit for what appeared to be a flailing elbow on Karlo Ivancic.
That all but ended the Tigers' challenge as the Warriors took advantage of the numerical advantage to score another two goals.
Fazrul sweeped home Kevin McCann's low right-wing cross from close range for his second of the night on the 58th minute before Hafiz curled home into the top right corner five minutes from time after being teed up by substitute Hafsyar Farkhan.
Kristic gave the Tigers faithful something to cheer about right before the end, nodding home substitute Hazzuwan Halim's corner before lobbing over Warriors keeper Shahul Rayyan from just outside the area.
However, it was too late for Balestier who fell to their first league defeat in four months.
Coach Marko Kraljevic admitted that his side deserved to lose. "We came into the game very slow in controlling possession," said the German-born Croatian.
"Then Warriors put two balls behind us which resulted in two goals and the first half performance was not up to mark.
"Then in the second half they got emotional. Once that happens, the game is over and it affects the whole team. We must learn from this defeat and move on."
Warriors FC: Shahul Rayyan (GK), Marcus Wheeler, Daniel Bennett (C), Marin Vidosevic, Irwan Shah, Kevin McCann (Shi Jiayi 72'), Emmeric Ong, Miroslav Pejic, Hafiz Rahim, Karlo Ivancic (Hafsyar Farkhan 77'), Fazrul Nawaz (Hazim Faiz 72')
Balestier Khalsa: Zaiful Nizam (GK, C), Yusiskandar Yusop, Emir Lotinac, Igor Cerina, Nurullah Hussein, Zulkiffli Hassim (Hazzuwan Halim 59'), Poh Yifeng, Tarik Cmajcanin (Ridwan Jamil 71'), Ignatius Ang, Miroslav Kristic, Robert Pericic (Jonathan Xu 59')