Planet Sport

Nguyen Quang Hai scored 15 minutes from time as Vietnam defeated Singapore to advance to the AFF Suzuki Cup final.

The substitute slid in to turn home Le Cong Vinh's low cross from close range, ending Singapore's 21-match unbeaten run in the competition and sending the Vietnamese through to a meeting in the final with Thailand.

Vietnam dominated the goalless draw in the first leg in Hanoi, but roared on by a capacity crowd of 55,000 at the National Stadium, Singapore began strongly in the return match with Agu Casmir and Noh Alam Shah putting the visiting defence under pressure with efforts that were deflected out for corners.

The best of Singapore's early opportunities arrived in the 20th minute when a long ball by Daniel Bennett was flicked on by Shi Jiayi to Noh Alam Shah, who burst into the Vietnamese box before blasting his effort wildly over the crossbar.

Three minutes later, a neat pass by Agu Casmir released Ridhuan Muhamad down the right flank. His low cross found Alam Shah whose shot on the turn was too weak to trouble goalkeeper Duong Hong Son.

Vietnam had their only real effort on goal in the first half after 25 minutes when Nguyen Vu Phong's long-range effort rolled harmlessly wide.

The home side turned up the heat after the break with Alam Shah turning a Ridhuan cross wide just seconds after the restart and Shi testing Hong Son with a low effort from the left edge of the box.

Ridhuan then stole the ball from a Vietnamese defender and played a quick cross in that just eluded Alam Shah but was nearly deflected by Doan Viet Cuong past his own keeper.

A Singaporean give-away presented Vietnam with an opportunity in the 55th minute but Nguyen Vu Phong lobbed over the crossbar from 20 metres.

Indra Sahdan Daud came on to replace the ineffective Casmir after 66 minutes and nearly broke the deadlock soon after when he was picked out by Shahril Ishak's cross from the left but fired straight at Hong Son.

Two minutes later, a deep ball by Precious Emuejeraye found Ridhuan at the far post. The winger knocked the ball back across goal just out of reach of a charging Alam Shah.

But it was the Vietnamese who finally made the breakthrough against the run of play in the 75th minute.

Le Cong Vinh sped past Ismail Yunos on the left and, with goalkeeper Lionel Lewis coming off his line to cut out the angle, squared the ball for substitute Nguyen Quang Hai to slid it home from six yards out.

Singapore intensified their pressure in the waning minutes and Baihakki headed a Shi corner narrowly wide before Hong Son made a sensational save to turn aside a Fahrudin Mustafic header off another Shi corner.

Doan Viet Cuong was sent off in the dying seconds after picking up his second yellow card but the visitors hung on for a memorable win that sent them through to the final.