PBDKT T-Team returned to the top of the Super League with a convincing 3-0 victory over Kuala Lumpur at the Hang Jebat Stadium in Melaka yesterday. In the only afternoon kick-off T-Team dominated the City Boys who were playing in Melaka as their own KLFA Stadium in Cheras is currently under renovation.
T-Team skipper Zairo Anuar Zalani scored a brace. The first one coming around the half hour mark when he unleashed an unstoppable shot just from the outside of the penalty area. Foreign player Zachariah Simukonda then added the second in the 70th minute with a header from a long ball by Mohamad Hasbullah.
Then ten minutes from time Zairo notched his second of the match with his trade-mark free-kick to ensure T-Team remained as the only team with a perfect record. Goalkeeper Mohamad Iqbal Suhaimi kept his second clean sheet in as many matches.
In Kuala Terengganu later that evening, Terengganu repeated the scoreline against visiting KL Felda United to get their Super League campaign back on track after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Perak in Ipoh on Tuesday. Despite not scoring, Terengganu striker Abdul Manaf Mamat had a hand in two of The Turtles' goals.
The first was when he headed down the ball into the path of Ismail Faruqi who unleashed a low shot that beat Felda United goalkeeper, Mohamad Suffian all the way. The home crowd responded in an upbeat manner but for all their shouting and drumming the score remained until half time.
At 1-0 there was always a chance for Felda to snatch a late goal and force a draw. But Terengganu could not create a clear cut chance in order to get the cushion of a second goal. As the match went on, The Turtles forward Ashaari Shamsuddin who usually play on the left began to play more centrally.
This paid dividends as in the 73rd minute the 2010 Super League topscorer opened his account for the 2012 edition with a fine individual skill after receiving a cross from substitute, Hasmizan Kamarodin. His shot from the top of the box took a deflection off Felda United skipper Mohamad Hardi Jaafar to completely wrong footed Suffian who was already committed.
Then in the 78th minute Felda United were reduced to ten men after their defender, Mohamad Nazri Ahmad was flashed a second yellow card after bringing down Abdul Manaf just outside the penalty box.
Four minutes from time chaos reigned as referee flashed Hardi with a second yellow card after he fouled Terengganu substitute, Shamsul Kamal. It meant that Felda will play the remainder of the match with just nine men. However referee Syed Azhar Syed Kamar had failed to notice that his linesman had raised his flag for an offside against Shamsul. He quickly rectified the situation but this brought anger among the Terengganu fans.
However the home fans were rewarded for their angst when deep into injury time Abdul Manaf released Ashaari with a fine pass and his team-mate finished with a plomb, easily dispatching the ball past Suffian for a 3-0 scoreline to the Turtles.
The result saw Terengganu climbed to fifth place, behind Negeri Sembilan who won 2-0 at Johor FC, Selangor who held on to a 1-0 win over Perak at the Nasional Stadium and Kelantan who were held to a 1-1 draw by PKNS FC on Friday.
In the Borneo 'derby', it was the Hawks that came out on top with a 2-1 over Sarawak at the Likas Stadium. Michael Baird and Bobby Gonzales scored for Sabah in the first half while former Terengganu and Felda United player, K Rajan reduced the deficit with fifteen minutes remaining.
In Alor Setar, Kedah and Lions XXI remained win-less after sharing the spoils in a goalless draw. Both teams suffered opening day defeats and with just one point there were propping the rest with bottom team Kuala Lumpur.
...
No comments:
Post a Comment