Turtles and Giants...

...Shared The Spoils.

Terengganu failed to use their home advantage against Selangor to go to the top of the 2011 Super League table. The 1-1 draw in Kuala Terengganu would not neither team any good as Kelantan who are playing tonight could leapfrog them if they win their home match against Kuala Lumpur, as they are expected to.

The Turtles who had to battle hard in Kota Kinabalu to come away with all three points, looked a bit jaded as they tried to impose control on the match. Selangor, who were beaten on Tuesday in Kota Bahru by Kelantan were looking to avoid a similar result and opted for a less adventurous tactic against the home side.

Despite slightly having more possession of the ball, the Terengganu front-line lacked ideas in the final third and most of their attempts were from distance. In one such instance, Abdul Hadi Yahya's shot was too hot to handle for Selangor goalkeeper, Saiful Amar Sudar but Hadi's strike partner, Abdul Manaf Mamat skied his shot.

It would not have counted anyway as the linesman had flagged Manaf for offside.

Selangor also had their moments too. Rudie Ramlie managed to get to a through ball by his skipper, Amri Yahyah but under pressure from Terengganu defender, Hasmizan Kamarodin he could only shoot straight at Sharbinee Allawee.

Then two minutes from the interval Safiq Rahim nipped on the blind side to connect with another Amri's pass and slotted the ball past Sharbinee. It was a close call by the referee's assistant he deemed the player was onside, much to the chagrin of the home fans, who then proceeded to rain the official with a favourite local delicacy; keropok lekor.

Terengganu were presented with an opportunity to level the score when the referee awarded a free-kick for a foul on Abdul Hadi. However, the off-form Ashaari Shamsuddin could only hit the wall and the ball was subsequently cleared.

The Turtles could go further behind when slack marking allowed Asrarudin Putra a free header from a corner a minute into the second half. Fortunately for Terengganu, his header was off target.

Nearing the hour mark, Irfan Bakti felt the need for a change and he made a double substitution. Abdul Manaf and fullback, Helmi Remeli were taken off and their place were taken by Ahmad Nordin Alias and Mohaimin Omar.

In the 64th minute the equaliser Terengganu were looking for finally arrived courtesy of midfielder, Ismail Faruqi. Joseph Kalang broke through on the right and while his first attempt to cross the ball was blocked, he managed to do it the second time around. Ismail run was not picked up and he dived bravely to connect with the ball and sent it past Saiful Amar.

Sultan Ismail erupted with joy and buoyed by this Terengganu camped inside Selangor's half as they tried to seek the winner. Ismail came close again with a similar move but the second time around the goalkeeper foiled his attempt.

Joseph, Abdul Hadi and their skipper, Marzuki Yusof came close with their efforts but in the end both teams had to settle for a point each while hoping The City Boys would do them a favour by getting a positive result in Kota Bahru tonight.




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Canaries Caged...

...in kT.

PBDKT T-Team snapped their win-less run of four matches with a 3-1 win over Kedah in Kuala Terengganu last night. Ironically, the win came after the Kuala Terengganu club gave their Head Coach, Yunus Alif a temporary leave of absence as the result of the inconsistent performance by the team.

Meanwhile at the Likas Stadium, Terengganu came back from falling a goal behind against host, Sabah to win their encounter against the Rhinos 2-1. The win kept The Turtles in second place which mean the could become the Super League leaders if they win their encounter against current leader, Selangor on Friday.

At The Sultan Ismail Nasirudin, caretaker coach, Shafie Pak could not wish for a better start for his tenure when Indra Putra Mahyuddin fired the home side ahead just after three minutes with a wonderful volley from a cross by Haris Safwan Kamal.

However, both teams could not display a commanding performance and the match became a dull affair with chances came at a premium. Then from almost out of nothing, Kedah equalised.

A long ball out of defence found Baddrol Bakhtiar on the left. He easily shrugged off the challenge from Subri Sulong and then tricked Syamsuri Mustafa with his body movement before slotting the ball into the empty net.

The second half was no different. Both teams struggled to find their rhythm. Then with ten minutes to go, a group of supporter raised a banner asking the sacking of the head coach and the team management to be reshuffled.

Coincidently, at this moment T-Team began to seize control of the match. After a number of attempts finally substitute Shamsul Kamal restored his team lead when his stiff shot from the right squirmed from Helmi Eliza's grasp and rolled over the goal-line. the goalkeeper must be wishing the ground to open up and swallow him at the moment.

Then three minutes into stoppage time, experienced midfielder Zairo Anuar who already saw Helmi saving his attempts during the match, gave the goalkeeper no chance with a first time shot from 20 metres after being set up by Indra Putra.

It was a welcome relief for t-team who could consolidate their form with another win over Pahang on Saturday on the same venue.

Meanwhile in Kota Kinabalu, Terengganu goalkeeper, Sharbinee Allawee must be sharing the same feeling with Helmi when his mistake led to the opening goal for Sabah. The custodian failed to deal properly with a long shot by Shahrul Azhar Ture and could only watch as the ball went to the back of the net.

However, Sharbinee who has been in fine form all season should not feel bad as even the best goalkeeper in the world also commit an error every now and then.

The home fans who were hoping to get all three points from the match had their hopes dashed when Terengganu striker, Abdul Hadi Yahya equalised with a simple finish after a team-mate had brought the ball under control from a cross inside the penalty area.

It was his six goals in as many matches, equalling the record he made earlier this season. Abdul Hadi now has thirteen goals to his name in all competitions this season. Then substitute Wan Aliff Jasmi who put up a good performance when he came on against Perak on Saturday made himself a hero to all Ganuans last night.

When Abdul Hadi broke on the left, Wan Aliff made a run into the box. He arrived just a head of his marker to tap in the ball into the empty net after his team-mate had beaten Sabah goalkeeper, Syed Adney with a low ball.

Then a moment of controversy came when an attempt by a Sabah player hit the hand of a Terengganu player inside the penalty box. However the referee deemed it was a case of 'ball to hand' rather than the other way around.

It was enough to cause the Sabah fans in the stands to show their displeasure but in the end The Turtles held on for the precious three points in order to keep up their title challenge for this season.





...

Turtles Downed Buffaloes...

...Again!

Terengganu scored three goals again when they met Perak at the Sultan Ismail Nasirudin Shah Stadium last night. This time there was no reply from The Buffaloes. However despite the score, Norizan Bakar's men were not completely outplayed by the Turtles though.

A win for Terengganu would see them returning to second spot on the Super League table. Thus the home side made their intention clear early in the match with several forays into the Perak penalty area. However Perak custodian, Nasril Nourdin proved to be a huge stumbling block for Terengganu as he made several saves in keeping the score at nil-nil.


Terengganu however were not to be denied. After fifteen minutes, their top-scorer, Abdul Hadi Yahya latched onto a through pass from midfield. He took the ball with a wonderful close control and prodded it past Nasril. It seemed like forever but finally the ball rolled over the line and Sultan Ismail erupted with joy as fans celebrated the goal, which was Hadi's twelfth goal of the season.

The Turtles continued to put pressure on Perak defence but the visitors managed to keep the score at one-nil going into the interval. They even came close several times with Noor Hazrul putting his efforts from dead ball situations just wide of the mark.


Eight minutes into the second half Terengganu suffered a setback when influential skipper, Marzuki Yusof had to leave the field due to an injury sustained in the first half. His replacement, Mazlizam Mohamad quickly made his presence felt with a header that just went above the bar from a corner.

Going into the hour mark, Perak tried hard to level things up. Their coach, Norizan Bakar made the switch by replacing Shafiq Jamil with with the more direct and physical style of Razali Umar Kandasamy.

However, it was Terengganu who found the back of the net again. This time through midfielder Reeshafiq Alwi who was put through by Abdul Manaf Mamat in the 67th minute. He finished smartly with the outside of his right boot leaving Nasril picking up the ball from the back of his net for the second time last night.


Then twelve minutes from time Abdul Manaf, who himself was going through a lean spell in front of goal for five matches now; broke through on the left. His cut back eventually fell to Hadi who unleashed a shot which proved too hot to handle for Nasril.

Joseph Kalang Tie who did the follow-up swung at the loose ball which hit the roof of the net. It was an emotional moment for the Sarawak born forward as it was his first goal of the season. To make it even sweeter for him, Joseph's family were watching from the stands.

There was no way back for Perak and despite their late pressure on Terengganu defence, failed to ruin Sharbinee's fifth clean sheet of the season. The win saw The Turtles leap-frog Kelantan into second place, four points behind Selangor who also won 2-1 in Kota Kinabalu against Sabah.



...

Poor, Poor...

...Perlis.

Kelantan moved into second place in the 2011 Malaysian Super League when they completed a double over Perlis at the Sultan Mohamad IV Stadium last night. The 4-0 win came after the two sides had met in Kangar on Tuesday where The Northern Lions were humiliated 5-1 by The Stags.

The win saw Kelantan reduced the deficit to league leaders Selangor to just two points. In view of the Red Giants trip to Sabah tonight it is a good way to put a little pressure on K Devan's boys ahead of their match against the Rhinos, who so far have been on good form at home.

Terengganu and Perak who shared the points in Ipoh on Tuesday are also hoping for a win to keep up with the leaders. The Turtles will retake second place if they win tonight, a result which will leave the Buffaloes further behind in the title race.

When the two sides met in the FA Cup quarter-finals last month, Terengganu won the match 3-1 to overturn the first leg deficit and qualify for the last four where they will be meeting Pahang next month. A similar result will see the home fans going home happy tonight.

Meanwhile another Terengganu team, PBDKT T-Team which travel to Pasir Gudang to meet Johor FC will be hoping to record their first win in three matches. Their resurrection which saw them beating Kelantan and Selangor earlier this month seemed to have petered out since losing the 'Turtle' derby against Terengganu which followed by the easy defeat at Kuala Lumpur.

A draw will be a good result against The Bees at their hive but a win will certainly be a bonus for this long trip down south by Yunus Alif's boys.



...

Falling Further...

...Down.

Perak found themselves dropping further down the 2011 Malaysian Super League charts after Kedah won their tie against Harimau Muda 'A' at the Shah Alam Stadium last night. The win for the Canaries came courtesy of an own goal by Harimau Muda defender, Mohamad Amer Saidin who sliced his clearance into his own net despite not being pressured by any Kedah player.

Kedah are now in fourth place while Perak dropped to fifth.




...

All Tied...

...Up!

Last night saw the last round of matches were played in the 2011 Super League first round. The big winners were Selangor who pulled four points clear at the top of the league charts after being forced to work hard by Sabah at the Shah Alam Stadium.

This was after their nearest challengers, Terengganu and Perak cancelled each other out at the Perak Stadium in Ipoh by playing to a 1-1 draw. The Turtles remained second while The Buffaloes dropped to fourth after Kelantan halted their win-less run with a 5-1 demolition of Perlis in Kangar to climb to third spot.

At the Perak Stadium, the home side went ahead after eight minutes when Shafiq Jamil's attempt from a corner was judged by the referee to have crossed the Terengganu goal line. The Turtles levelled the score in the second half when Abdul Hadi Yahya converted a penalty for his eleven goal of the season.

 Photo credit to: hesome-yob4ever

The spot kick was awarded after Ashaari Shamsudin was brought down inside the penalty area even though Perak players protested that the foul was committed outside of it. In the end both teams had to share the spoils from this encounter.

Meanwhile PBDKT T-Team also stopped their losing run by drawing 1-1 with Johor FC at the Sultan Ismail Nasirudin Shah Stadium in Kuala Terengganu. Defender Shahrul Ezrain gave the Kuala Terengganu club side a dream start with a goal after ten minutes but T-Team failed to find the visitors' back of the net again during the match.

A number of chances fell to Indra Putra Mahyudin, Haris Safwan, Zairo Anuar and Shamsul Kamal but almost all their attempts failed to find their target or were blocked by The Bees defenders.

They were made to pay when three minutes into the second half, T-Team defenders failed to react when a corner was delivered into their box and Shahrizal Mohamad Saad took full advantage to head home the equaliser.

The second half saw T-Team continued struggling to breach the visitors defence. Towards the end of the match Indra Putra was seen pushed by a Johor FC defender when they were competing for a high ball inside the box.

The referee played the advantage but when the advantage did not come to anything, T-Team defender Azizi Matt Rose protested that a penalty should have been given to his team. However his protest came to no avail.

Then Azizi himself got into trouble when he brought down a Johor FC player as the latter was bearing down on T-Team's goal during a quick counter-attack. The referee gleefully reached for his pocket and flashed the one coloured red. The task of winning the match looked harder for the home side.

However credit to them as they continued to push the issue but once again poor finishing let them down. Zairo could have given T-Team all three points when a free-kick was awarded to T-Team at the edge of Johor FC penalty area but from an acute angle.

He managed to find the target but Terengganu born goalkeeper Suhardy Alby palmed away his shot and by the end both teams had to be content with a point each.

Teams are going to play the reverse of last night's fixtures to mark the beginning of the second round of matches in the 2011 Malaysian Super League.


...

Death Awaits...

...if Guilty.

Most of the time mad redo1 writes about sports on these pages. But there are a few other things that he writes about too, and this is one of them.

I woke up with the TV showing a caption "Guru dituduh edar ganja" (Teacher accused of traffiking cannabis). Suddenly a familiar face appeared on the screen and my fear was confirmed when the newscaster announced the name of the teacher.

Abdul Karim Mohamed.

We just recently re-acquainted with one another through Facebook (where else?) and frankly, I was surprised that he has become a teacher. An English teacher.

Abdul Karim was a junior when I was at my school in Dungun. We shared the same block and came across each other almost daily. As time went on he developed into a person that did not fall into the category that I would like to hang out with due to his need to be seen as rebellious.

When I was appointed to the prefect board Abdul Karim certainly did not make my life as a prefect any easier (of course, he was not the only ones). He was naughty with his shenanigans but not to the extent of being a juvenile.

Thus, when I read through his Facebook that he was teaching English at the respected male only Sekolah Menengah Agama Sultan Zainal Abidin Ladang, I was surprised but glad that he has become a good person. As a teacher, he is way better than me.

Upon hearing the full charge which carries the mandatory death penalty, it saddened me greatly. With the additional information that he was tested positive for substance when the police arrested him, the thought that came across my mind was 'Abdul Karim is being Abdul Karim that I knew in the past'.

For all the 'difficult' moments that he gave me at school, never I wish he would receive this kind of punishment in return.

Admittedly I do not know Abdul Karim that well after our school days to really pass my judgment on him.  But he seems to have the full support of his students who are saying all the positives about him on his Facebook wall. It is good to know that during that time he has done so many good things and made positive impact on so many young lives.

Hopefully, the positives will far outweigh the negatives.

As for the charge, it is up to the courts to find him guilty or innocent. I for one will take a keen interest on the development of this case and for the sake of those who love and care for him, I hope the judgment will be the latter.


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