T-Team Reclaimed Top Spot...

...Terengganu Began Ascending

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.

...

Right...

...to the Wire!

As a Ganuan mad redo1 was hoping to see Terengganu winning their maiden Super League title this season. However, prior to the kick-off of the last round of matches in the 2011 Super League season, he realised that The Turtles only had a small percentage of chances of doing that.

Three points behind leaders Kelantan and two behind Selangor the only way the Super League title coming to Kuala Terengganu was by hoping Saba

h to win against The Stags and Selangor were unable to get a win in Ipoh against Perak. Terengganu also needed to do their part of the bargain by winning big against Felda United at Kelana Jaya.

How mad redo1 wished he could be there to capture the moment but it was the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium for him to cover the T-Team versus Kuala Lumpur match.

With the Terengganu club side already assured of their place in the Super League, the match was more significant for the City Boys who were third from bottom and needed to get at least a draw in Kuala Terengganu.

Thus it was no surprise when they raced to a two goal lead in the first half through Mohamad Badrul Hisyam Azmi. However Indra Putra Mahyuddin reduced the deficit towards the end of the period through a header from a corner.

In the second half Kuala Lumpur restored their two goal lead when Badrul completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot, even though T-Team goalkeeper, Ismail Abdul Rahman managed to save the initial kick the striker maintained his cool and slotted the ball past the goalkeeper, whose error gifted Kuala Lumpur their second goal in the first half.

Substitute Shamsul Kamal made the scoreline 3-2 towards the end of the match and despite some late pressure T-Team could not find their way past Kuala Lumpur defence again, condemning them to the thirteenth defeat of the season.

Meanwhile in Kelana Jaya, Terengganu raced to a 4-1 half-time lead with goals coming from Reeshafiq Alwi, Abdul Manaf Mamat and a brace by Abdul Hadi Yahya. However news coming in from Kota Kinabalu were not that rosy as The Stags had taken the lead against Sabah.

It turned out that tonight was not just about the race to become the 2011 league champions but also the race to win the golden boot. Malaysian internationals Hadi of Terengganu and Kelantan's Norshahrul Idlan Talaha were neck to neck to become 2011 topscorer, an award won by Terengganu's Ashaari Shamsuddin in 2010.

Then in the second half, Hadi found something extra and found the Felda United's net twice to make it twenty goals to his name and ensuring the golden boot would make its way to Terengganu again.

At the end of the night, The Turtles could not overhaul The Stags which were crowned as Super League Champions for the first time while Terengganu finished in their highest ever position since the start of the Super League, as runners-up which was an improvement from last season's third place. Selangor finished third after being held to a goal-less draw by Perak.

The immediate attention for Malaysian football fans would be the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers against Singapore on the 21 and 28 of July. Then it will be a break for Ramadhan before the Malaysia Cup tournament begin a week after Aidil-Fitri in September.

To Terengganu, CONGRATULATIONS FOR A GOOD SEASON!

...

Dull Affair...

...in kT

As expected, Kelantan returned to the top of the Super League table after their 2-0 win over Kuala Lumpur in Kota Bahru. This meant Terengganu are now in third place, a point adrift from The Stags and The Red Giants. It is still a long way to go and during this hectic period which only ends at the end of May, so many things could happen.

In order for The Turtles to keep up in the title race is to play good football but many would not mind getting results by playing 'ugly' football. But playing ugly football and NOT getting the right result would only mean fans are going to desert you en masse, such as the one on display when PBDKT T-Team took on Pahang last night.

The match, like the one between Terengganu and Selangor the night before was televised 'live' by Astro Arena. Unfortunately, it was not anything like the previous match with stray passes galore between the two sets of players. Chances, once again were at a premium.

The closest anyone getting the ball into the net was when T-Team's topscorer, Indra Putra Mahyudin smacked his shot against the bar from a corner, with the Pahang goalkeeper, Rosfaizul Azuar was already beaten.

The crowd were really getting on the back of T-Team striker, Haris Safwan who became the brunt of the blame for the team's poor performance. Perhaps it a was a spell that he was going through when everything he does just would not come off right. This time he lasted just until the interval, when he was replaced by Shamsul Kamal Mohamad.

T-Team dropped to ninth in the table while Pahang remained in tenth.



...

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.





...

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.



...

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.


...

Pipped to Second...

...by the Red Giants.

Terengganu's stay at the top of the Super League was cut short by Selangor after the Red Giants won against another title contender, Perak at the Shah. Safiq Rahim scored the match only goal and put his team two points clear of The Turtles.

Perak, which could go to the top themselves if they managed to collect all three points at Shah Alam remained in third. They now will face The Turtles in a double header to mark the end of the first round of matches in the Super League on Tuesday in Ipoh.

Then they will travel to Kuala Terengganu for the first match in the second round. As a Ganuan, of course mad redo1 will be hoping for all six points to be collected by Terengganu in order to keep up the pressure on the league leader, Selangor.

But it would not be an easy task with both teams winning their home match when they met in the last eight of the FA Cup competition last month. A win in Ipoh for Terengganu will be considered as a bonus for Terengganu as to come away with a point is a more realistic target.

Hopefully the extra day of rest, having played their match on Friday will do the Terengganu players a world of good as they need to be at their best in order to get a good result in Ipoh.

When they recorded three wins in succession, many thought T-Teams had finally found their winning rhythm. But defeat in the 'Turtle' derby against Terengganu seemed to affect the morale of the T-Team players.

Their display against Kuala Lumpur at the KLFA Stadium was woeful to say the least. Conceding three 'schoolboys' goals in a period of less than five minutes left them with a mountain climb. As expected they never recover after that despite managing to pull one back through Indra Putra Mahyuddin before the first half is over.

The result saw T-Team going down a place to eighth in the Super League table, equal on points and goal difference with their conquerors, Kuala Lumpur. But the Terengganu club side had scored more goals then the City Boys.

T-Team will end their first round campaign against Johor FC on Tuesday in Kuala Terengganu and visit Pasir Gudang for their return match next Saturday. As a Ganuan mad redo1 will be hoping for T-Team to rediscover their winning ways again.

...

Turtles at the Top...

...even it was for a Short Time Only.

Terengganu went to the top of the Super League table for the first time this season after this hard fought victory over Felda United at the Sultan Ismail Nasirudin Shah last night. The position could shift after the completion of the weekend's programme with the top draw being title contenders Selangor entertaining Perak at the Shah Alam Stadium.

For The Turtles, the match against The Settlers was certainly a tough one with it coming just two days after the mental sapping 'Turtle' derby against PBDKT T-Team. Striker Abdul Hadi Yahya who was Terengganu's hero during the match with a fine goal, proved to be a match-winner once again with another wonderful strike just after over an hour of play.

This came after the visitors had managed to continually frustrate the home team with their pressing game and aided by Turtles who looked lethargic throughout. Terengganu players failed to display their usual passing game and with almost all moves broke down at one stage or the other.

The Settlers could consider themselves unlucky not to go two goals ahead in the first half when they hit the woodwork twice, the closest was when Bobby Chin pounced on a loose ball after Terengganu goalkeeper, Sharbinee Allawee had parried a long range shot by Azrul Ahmad.

They even had the ball in The Turtles' net towards the end of the first half but former Terengganu player, Liew Kit Kong's effort was not counted as the referee's assistant had risen his flag for offside against Azrul during the move. Sharbinee was certainly the busier of the two goalkeepers on the pitch.

In the second half Terengganu began to pull themselves together and began to look dangerous. However the Felda defence stood their ground and managed to repel these attacks.

The moment that turned the match around came in the 62nd minute when Felda failed to clear their line properly. When Joseph Kalang found Hadi with a lot of space, the striker had nothing but goal on his mind as he struck a right foot shot which dipped into the top corner, beating Felda goalkeeper, Hamsani Ahmad all the way.

The Turtles tried to increase their lead but in the end had to settle for this single goal victory which was enough to propel them to the Super League summit, even it was just for a twenty four hour period, at least for the time being.

Reflecting on the match, Terengganu Head Coach, Irfan Bakti admitted that his players were not at their best last night. Many were suffering from fatigue especially after playing in the 'Turtle' derby against T-Team. As one could have expected, playing in derby matches could take a lot on players.

Furthermore the way the fixtures are arranged by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) competition committee, it is certainly far from ideal for good quality football to be played throughout the season. The current fixture which started on 2 April (after the international break) teams will play one match every three days until 24 May. A total of 16 matches in 50 days.

Unless a team has a good strength in depth in their squad, any hope of consistently producing top class performance would be out of question. This is an aspect that FAM have to take note in order to increase the quality of football in this country.

For Terengganu fans, let enjoy this moment and hope it will last till the end of the season.


...

Great Comeback...

...in kT!

It was not a welcome habit but it seemed to be entrenched in the way Terengganu play at the moment. Conceding a silly goal early in the match before making a comeback to take something out of the encounters with their opponents.

The match against Harimau Muda 'A' was the third time they conceded early in the match, this time a mis-kick by a Terengganu defender presented the chance for Syahrul Azwari Ibrahim to put the Young Tigers ahead just after seven minutes of play.

But one good thing from going behind in previous matches is the mental strength of the Turtles seemed to grow as they did not panic and played to their strength. Irfan Bakti's boys seemed to create a number of good scoring chances but were unable to convert these opportunities into goals.

Ten minutes after going behind Terengganu forced a corner when Harimau Muda skipper Mohamad Muslim blocked a shot from Ashaari Shamsudin. However, the Terengganu topscorer would not be denied his goal, connecting with Ismail Faruqi's corner with a powerful header that hit the bar before rebounding behind the goal line.

Terengganu continued their dominance after the equaliser. Ismail himself and Joseph Kalang saw their shots saved by Harimau Muda goalkeeper, Izham Tarmizi Roslan. The young custodian however could not do anything to prevent Abdul Hadi Yahya's shot from going past him in the 36th minute.

The goal was a result from a quick counter attack after the home defence managed to clear a corner by Harimau Muda. Ismail Faruqi made a long pass which found Abdul Hadi who managed to evade challenges from two Harimau Muda players before slotting the ball home.

Izham denied Hadi another goal with a wonderful save two minutes before the interval but he was beaten again when Abdul Manaf Mamat was put through and beat him with a delicate lob. Fortunately for the Harimau Muda goalkeeper, the goal was not counted as Manaf was flagged offside by the referee assistant.

Terengganu continued to press after the interval as they went out looking for the security of a third goal. Ashaari's hardwork and persistence paid off in the 64th minute when he won the ball in a midfield challenge.

He played the ball to Hadi who laid the ball into Ismail's path, giving him a clear run to Harimau Muda's goal. The midfielder kept his cool and finished the move with a side-foot which nestled gently in the Young Tigers' net.

Three-one to the Turtles and the margin could have been bigger had their players converted the chances that came their way after the third goal was scored. In the end it was enough for Terengganu to keep pace with the leaders.

PBDKT T-Team shock 2-0 win in Shah Alam against Selangor saw the Red Giants being pegged back by Kelantan who themselves were beaten by T-Team on Tuesday. Both teams were level on twenty points but the Stags have a better goal difference.

Perak missed the opportunity to climb to the top of the pile when they lost their unbeaten record this season, going down 2-1 to a Sabah team, struggling at the lower part of the Super League table. The defeat saw them dropped to third, just a point in front of Terengganu.

Goals from Norfarhan Mohamad and Indra Putra Mahyudin were enough to see off a poor Selangor side, which missed the chance to go in front in the first half when T-Team experienced goalkeeper, Syamsuri Mustafa saved a penalty by Razman Roslan.

Thirteen minutes into the second half Norfarhan rose unchallenged inside the box to head home a Zairo Anuar's free-kick. Part of the blame should also be borned by Selangor goalkeeper, Mohamad Iqbal who should have done better.

Then six minutes from time, Indra Putra latched onto a quick pass from Zairo and with consummate ease evaded challenges from the home defenders before finding the back of the net with a low shot.

The win was the third in succession for Yunus Alif's charges and they maintained their seventh place in the Super League charts. It should finally ease the pressure on the Head Coach who struggled to find the right mix for his team before the break for the FA Cup competition and the international friendly.

...

Kijang Shot...

...in Kuala Terengganu

Super League leaders Kelantan came to Terengganu with one aim, to collect all three points at the expense of the home team, PBDKT T-Team which were struggling for form all season. For their fans, this was another opportunity to get one over their former idols, Indra Putra Mahyuddin, Norfarhan Mohamad and Azizi Matt Rose who crossed the border during the close season.

The two teams had met earlier during the First Round of the FA Cup competition in May. T-Team which were struggling for form and without a win at the time surprised The Stags with their tenacity and determination.

Indra Putra opened his goal account for T-Team during the match to cancel out Kelantan's lead. Both teams could not find a winner during regulation time and at the end of 120 minutes of play the score stood at 1-1. However luck was with the visitors as they went through 5-4 on penalties.

This time around things were no different. The home team were still struggling for form but had begun with a 3-0 win over Sabah in their first match after the FA Cup and international break. Kelantan on the other hand, were leading the Super League, albeit on goal difference over Selangor.

However, after an hour of play the league leaders found themselves three goals down after a superb free-kick by Zairo Anuar, a blistering shot from Farhan Mohamad and Indra Putra cool finish found their way past Malaysian international Khairul Fahmi Che Mat in the Kelantan goal.

Credit to The Stags they showed their quality as title challengers when they managed to pull two goals back in quick succession through Danial Fadzly and Chanturu to make the home fans sitting at the edge of their seats while giving the travelling contingent some hope of salvaging something from the match.

However, T-Team best players last season Harris Safwan Kamal gave his side some breathing space with a cool finish after controlling a wonderful cross from Indra Putra. But a second goal of the night for Danial from the penalty spot once again made the home fans feeling a bit jittery.

However, T-Team defence held on for a famous victory which would give them the much needed confidence to really turn their season around. With the next match is an away trip to Selangor it would be very interesting to see if Yunus Alif's boys really have what it takes to do just that.

But for the time being they just should revel in their first back to back victory this season, and to a certain extent giving one back to the team that dumped them out of the FA Cup by knocking them off the perch of the Super League summit.


...

Canaries Pecked Turtles...

...Again!

Terengganu suffered their second defeat of the season when Kedah staged a comeback at the Darul Aman Stadium in Alor Setar on Saturday night. Midfielder Reeshafiq Alwi opened his goal account for The Turtles after half an hour of play with a stunning volley from outside the penalty box.

However, Terengganu who playing without the injured skipper Marzuki Yusof in defence could not contain the home side attack and two quick goals from Khyrel Muhymeen and former Turtle, Firdaus Faudzi in a four minutes spell in the 64th and 67th minutes brought back the cheers to the home side, whose team was under the supervision of Radhi Mat Din for the first time after Ahmad Yusof was given his 'leave'.

In Kuala Terengganu, PBDKT T-Team and Perak could not lift themselves to find the rhythm to display good football in front of the home crowd, which totalled to less than a thousand, perhaps influenced by the rain that has been coming down for the past few days.

In a dour match, unbeaten Perak were let down by their poor finishing. Their best chance came midway through the first half when their striker, having beaten goalkeeper, Syamsuri Mustafa could only send the ball into the side-netting.

The best chance for T-Team came towards the end of the first half during an a spell which saw they dominated the match, striker Haris Safwan's effort was cleared off the line by the Perak defence.

In the end, both teams had to settle for a nil-nil scoreline.

Terengganu and Perak dropped to fifth and fourth respectively in the Super League table after this round of fixtures. Kedah climbed to eighth while T-Team remained second from bottom of the table.

On the night which saw leaders Kelantan's unbeaten record came to an end in Kuantan, it was a big opportunity for Perak take the lead at the top of the table. However, as it turned out Kelantan remained at the top of the pile but now they were joined by last season Premier League champions, Felda United and defending Super League champions, Selangor on fourteen points.

Pahang registered their third win to climb to sixth, even though for many it was rather unexpected against the high riding Stags. Negeri Sembilan's season turned for the worse after their home defeat against Selangor, which would turn more heat on coach Wan Jamak.

Johor FC and Kuala Lumpur played to a scoreless draw the day before and the match between Sabah and Harimau Muda 'A' was postponed due to unplayable pitch even though there were reports of the match being awarded to the Young Tigers.

...

Wasted...

...Youth

It is good to see many football fans in Terengganu are still willing to lend the support to the two Terengganu teams competing in the 2011 President Cup tournament. However this season saw both teams are in the bottom half of their respective group's standings.

PBDKT T-Team (T-Team) are in Group A while Terengganu are in Group B.

The former only managed a single win from four outings and yesterday's 3-1 defeat at home to Sabah left them in eighth place of the eleven team group. Their fortunes seemed to mirror their senior side's performance in the Super League, which incidently also managed to just a single win and a draw so far this season.

Terengganu on the other hand recorded a 4-1 win over Pahang at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan to register their first win of the season. The victory saw them placed seventh in their group.

The tournament is effectively a reserve league championship for Malaysian League sides and all players are restricted to a certain age. These players also are eligible to represent their senior side without having to be registered in the senior squad.

However, the quality of football on show so far has not been at the best level in relation to their age.

Perhaps reverting back to the practice a few seasons back when a maximum of three senior players were allowed to play in President Cup matches. It could increase the quality of the play on the field and at the same time players who do not play regularly for the first team will have the opportunity to play competitive football in order to maintain their match fitness and sharpness.

This is being practiced in top leagues in Europe and the young players will benefit from playing with senior players who should lead by example in terms of technical ability and also leadership skills.

But the thing is in Malaysia or in this case in Terengganu, the pyramid of football is not really a pyramid at all with the lack of football played at the much lower age groups means children are not equipped with enough basic skills in football, thus when they progress through the age groups, we could always see improper control of the ball, lack of positional sense and making the wrong decisions.

With the number of schools in each districts there are enough to create a school league for the under-12s, under-15s and under-17s which could see these children playing football competitively during the weekends for six to eight months of the year.

During the week they would be training with proper coaches and with experience gained through match exposure they would be progressing well in relation to their age group, and by the time they are in their mid-teens we should be able to determine whether these players have the quality to succeed or not.

Furthermore, these matches will give ample opportunities for scouts to keep an eye on any talented players that show potentials to become good players in the future.

Of course this is only a wish of someone who does not have any authority to make these changes. His only wish is someone in authority share the same vision and together we could work to make this a reality.

Until then, we will just have to make do with the usual fare dished to us, just like the one on the 'C' Pitch yesterday.


...

Bees Swatted...

...by Turtles.

Terengganu recorded their third win in their 2011 Super League campaign after defeating Johor FC 3-0 at the Sultan Ismail Nasirudin Shah Stadium last night. The win lifted The Turtles to third in the table behind unbeaten leaders Kelantan and second placed Perak.

Irfan Bakti boys were straight into attack mode right from the start and their efforts paid off in the sixth minute when a long ball by Ismail Faruqi from inside his own area found forward Ashaari Shamsudin on the left.

He then made a low delivery into the box where striker Abdul Hadi Yahya had timed his run to perfection to slot in his fifth goal this season in all competitions. It was also the fifth match in a row the former T-Team striker scored for his new team.

Seven minutes later Ashaari was fouled on the left and referee Ku Alauddin Ku Muhammad awarded the home side a free-kick. Spotting Johor FC goalkeeper, Mohamad Anis Faron was quite far away from his goal, Terengganu midfielder Ismail Faruqi just lobbed the ball over his head.

The custodian perhaps was anticipating a cross rather than a shot, which left him stranded in no man's land.

Joseph who worked hard throughout the match saw a number of his shots saved or blocked by the visitors defence. The closest he came to scoring was in the 69th minute when he blocked an attempted clearance made by Anis. Much to the goalkeeper's relief it went just wide of his goal frame.

Terengganu continued to press with Ashaari and substitute Ahmad Nordin attempted their luck from distance.

Then in the 77th minute Joseph was once again fouled just outside the box. In a move from a training ground routine Terengganu defender Nik Zul Aziz Nawawi nearly scored his first goal for The Turtles but could not keep his shot down.

Two minutes later Terengganu had their third goal when Hadi found Saha at the edge of the box. The forward let fly and despite the attention from a Johor FC defender the ball flew in past Anis who clearly had a miserable time in Kuala Terengganu last night.

Nine minutes from time another Terengganu defender Helmi Remeli tried his luck from an acute angle, attempting to lob Anis from outside the box but he could not keep his shot down.

The Bees had lost their sting and the match was just played out with neither side able to breach each others' goal again.

Meanwhile at the MBPJ Stadium in Kelana Jaya, PBDKT T-Team (T-Team) could not build on their win over Perlis on Saturday when they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Felda United. Goals by Faderin Kadir and Bobby Chin were enough to condemn T-Team to their fourth defeat of the season.

Last night results saw Terengganu climbed back to third they occupied briefly on Friday, level on points with Selangor and Felda United but with better goal difference. T-Team meanwhile dropped back to the bottom two after Sabah managed to avoid defeat in their match against Pahang but it was Johor FC who occupied the place above T-Team.



...

'Blitzkrieg'...

...in Kuala Terengganu.

Two quick goals by PBDKT T-Team (T-Team) early in their match against Perlis were enough to see off the challenge from the young Northern Lions side which prior to the match shared the unenviable record with the home side of being the only teams without a win this season.

It was a relegation six pointer despite being played so early in the season with both coaches knew it was vital for their team to win. T-Team Head Coach Yunus Alif had outlined his battle plan during an interview that his team could not afford to let the young Perlis players to settle in the match.

Thus he encouraged his team to press hard early on and three minutes into the match it paid off. Experienced forward, Indra Putra Mahyudin found himself with a bit of space inside the box and unleashed a low shot which Perlis goalkeeper, Hairol Fazreen did well to parry but Khairul Izwan Khalid was on hand to tuck in the loose ball.

The former Felda United player was playing tonight due to the sudden illness that befallen Haris Safwan Kamal, T-Team topscorer last season.

Then seven minutes later Indra also had his hand in T-Team's second goal. Again the forward was allowed too much space and his shot came off the post. Midfielder Badrul Hisani was smart enough to anticipate and managed to get ahead of Perlis defender Mohamad Fazly Baharum and diverted the loose ball into the empty net for his first goal of the season and also his first for his new team.

Then after a quarter of an hour gone Perlis were handed a lifeline when referee Mohamad Yusof Mat Karim adjudged T-Team defender Azizi Mat Rose to have handled the ball inside the box and awarded the away team a penalty.

However Mohamad Faiz Subri failed to hit the target with his effort.

The match seemed to peter out after that. T-Team midfielder Tengku Hasbullah Raja Hasan was presented with a one on one opportunity with the goalkeeper but was denied by the young custodian. A minute later Mohamad Norfarhan failed to connect with a corner after he was left unmarked at the far post.

Then as the match was reaching the hour mark, T-Team were awarded a free-kick. Skipper Rosdi Talib delivered the ball into the box where Khairul Izwan connected well to head home his side third goal.

The rest of the match saw T-Team tried hard to increase their goal tally but in the end had to settle for the 3-0 scoreline, which marked their first win of the season, a point where many of their fans were hoping they would kick-start their 2011 Super League campaign in earnest.

...

Penalty...

...Heartbreak.

It was a match eagerly awaited by football fans. The transfer wrangling between the two teams during the close season involving three players now playing for the home team was the source of the 'heat' surrounding the match.

For Kelantan fans it was an opportunity by their team to show that life goes on for them without the trio. And life is indeed very well for 'The Kijang' with their current position at the top of the pile in the Malaysian Super League (MSL) while PBDKT T-Team (T-Team) are languishing in the bottom rung of the MSL.

Thus the stage was set for an explosive encounter. However, at stake was a place in the second round of the Malaysian FA Cup and a result must be reached during this match after the format was changed from a two legged affair to just a single match knock-out match for the first two rounds of the competition.

Unfortunately mad redo1 was not around to witness the match first hand and to snap a few shots from it. He was away in Kedah fulfilling a promise made to his other half since the day he got hitched way back in mid-nineties.

Being away meant he missed witnessing Indra Putra Mahyudin's first competitive goal for his new team, cancelling the opener by Kelantan's Rizal Fahmi Rosid, eight minutes after the latter scored in the 53rd minute.

Then of course he missed witnessing national striker, Terengganu born Norshahrul Idlan Talaha missed from the spot that could have prevented the extra thirty minutes from being played to separate the two teams.

In the end the lottery of penalties went in favour of the visitors but for T-Team and their supporters could take heart from their battling performance in holding the current league leaders to a draw.

It was just lady luck that did not smile on them during the shootout.

Hopefully she will when T-Team take on the field again on Saturday against bottom team Perlis. With Indra scoring his first goal of the season hopefully there will be more to come from him and his team-mates to ensure a good season for T-Team after a very poor start to it with just a point to show after four matches.

But the battle for FA Cup is over, at least for this season.



...

Dual Defeats...

...for Ganuans.

The fourth round of matches in the 2011 Malaysian Super League (MSL) saw both teams from Terengganu suffered away defeats. Terengganu surrendered their unbeaten record at the Shah Alam Stadium where they went down fighting 3-2 against a Selangor side playing their first match without striker, Safee Salee who had joined Indonesian club Pelita Jaya.

While it was Terengganu first defeat of the season, PBDKT T-Team (T-Team)'s 1-0 defeat to Pahang at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan saw their losing run continued. It is now three defeats out of four, with just a point on board from the opening day goalless draw against Kedah in Alor Setar.

The defeat left Terengganu and T-Team at eighth and thirteenth place respectively in the MSL.

T-Team coach, Yunus Alif must be feeling the pressure after still winless going into their fourth match against Pahang. His assembly of star and vastly experienced players still could not conjure up the magic that many Ganu football fans are expecting after big names such Indra Putra Mahyudin, Norfarhan Mohamad, Zairo Anuar and a few others signed for them in the close season.

Many were expecting they would be able to register their first win with Pahang just a place above them prior to the match. But T-Team were a bit slow in getting their game on and just after three minutes they were already a goal down. Zaiza Zainal Abidin tapped in from close range after a free-kick from Azamudin Akil fell kindly for him.

Tried as they might T-Team just could not find a way to bulge the home side net with the closest coming from an effort by Indra whose attempt rocked the frame of the goal but went out of play. In the end, the defeat was more due to unfortunate circumstances rather than lack of effort by the players.

Terengganu meanwhile found themselves three goals down after just under an hour of play, the reverse of the situation when they were playing Perlis on Friday in Kangar. A wonderful half volley by Fazlli Shaari in the 17th minute broke the deadlock after a one-two with Hardi Jaafar had created the opening for the former KL PLUS FC player.


Then a minute into the second half Selangor were two goals in-front when Fazli turned provider this time, supplying the ball for his skipper Amri Yahyah to connect with a looping header thet left Terengganu goalkeeper Sharbinee Allawee grasping air.

Photo by Jeroe

During last season Malaysia Cup campaign, Azidan Sarudin scored for his team Kuala Lumpur from a long distance free-kick against Terengganu in Kuala Terengganu to give his team a 1-0 win.The former Kuala Lumpur skipper repeated the feat against the Turtles but this time around from an open play situation. His long shot slipped past the unsighted Sharbinee who saw the ball too little too late.

Then Terengganu began their fightback when Hadi was fouled inside the box and Malaysian international, Ashaari Shamsudin dispatched the ball past Iqbal Suhaimi in the Selangor goal. Despite trying very hard The Turtles only managed to reduce the deficit just by one more goal when Hadi slipped in unnoticed at the far post to turn Ashaari low ball into the Red Giants goal with three minutes to go.

Even though they tried very hard Terengganu just could not find their way past Iqbal again and found themselves beaten for the first time this season.

...

Two Goals...

...to the Good.

Malaysia won 2-0 against Hong Kong in an international friendly match at the Shah Alam Stadium last night. There was no scene of celebration in Kuala Terengganu tonight as there was nothing much at stake.

At first mad redo1 rode his Mortimer to T-Cafe, the scene where celebrations were loud and boisterous after the final whistle of the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup was blown and Malaysia were crowned champions. Unfortunately, it did not show the telecast on its big screen this time (how unpatriotic).

It was not Indonesia, of course. But the first outing for the Malayan Tigers after the successful campaign in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup was equally important as fans would want to see the continuation of the good work that have been done during the tournament.

With none of his GSN mates around he decided to ride around and after riding around for a few minutes he went to the Shahbandar. Much to his surprise the match was telecast on the big screen there. Thus he parked his Mortimer and sat his bums and set himself to see the Malayan Tigers in action again.

There were a few changes in the starting line-up with Aidil Zakuan returning to the centre of defence, partnering Fadzli Shas. In midfield Gurusamy started the match in the position occupied by Amar Rohidan during the Suzuki Cup. While Safee Salee had Ahmad Fakri Saraani as his partner instead of Norshahrul Idlan Talaha who began the match on the bench.

The match was largely played in the middle but it was Malaysia who first had their sight on goal with Safee's half volley stinging the Hong Kong goalkeeper into action. With the action being largely played in the middle there were not many chances.

(Image was taken from Sukan Mania page)

As the match was edging towards the interval Malaysia's persistent play paid off when skipper Safiq Rahim chased a seemingly lost cause bear unexpected fruit. A Hong Kong defender tried to shield the ball from Safiq but he miscalculated his attempt and fell to the ground.

In the process his feet kept the ball in play which Safiq gleefully took and after beating another defender unleashed a low shot which beat the goalkeeper at the near post. Rajagobal's men went to the dressing room with a single goal lead.

The match became livelier in the second half as the visitors tried to take something out of the match. Goalkeepers Khairul Fahmi and his substitute, Farizal Marlias both had to made several routine saves but overall the Malaysian defence dealt with everything Hong Kong threw at them.

Kunanlan and substitute Mahathevan both had opportunities to give their country a healthier lead but failed to hit the target with their attempts. Then as the match seemed to end with just a goal, Amirulhadi Zainal received a wonderful long pass from Sabree Abu inside the box.

The Selangor winger's first touch was a bit heavy and took the ball wide from the goal. At first it seemed the goalscoring opportunity was lost but Hadi kept his cool and swung his right foot. The ball hit the retreating goalkeeper, wrong-footing the covering defender before trickling into the net.

It was 2-0 and in the end it was all that matters for all Malaysians.

For mad redo1 the way the Malaysian team played it was a sign of maturity with every player seemed comfortable on the ball and when passing it around. Everybody seemed to be on the same wavelength most of the time.

However, it was just a friendly and the real deal will come when they face better quality oppositions in a more competitive environment. But until that day, it was certainly a win to enjoy before life returns to Super League action this Friday with Terengganu travelling to Kangar to face the Northern Lions while T-Team 'entertain' the Young Tigers.

Current standings of the Super League after two round of matches.
(click for a larger view)

...

Improvements...

...Required!

For us Ganu football fans, having two football teams competing in the same competition is akin to a parent having two off-springs vying for their support in a quest for success. You are proud with both of them but when asked which one do you love more, no parents would ever pick one over another.

It is the same when both of them failed in their missions, the hurt is still felt as you wish them to be successful in everything they do.

Thus when Terengganu and T-Team failed to win their opening two matches in the 2011 Super League campaign, mad redo1 could feel the hurt inside his heart. However, he would like to look at the positive side of things.

Terengganu were held by Sabah to a goal-less draw in Kuala Terengganu on the opening day of the season while T-Team held Kedah to the same scoreline at the Darul Aman Stadium, Alor Setar.

For the next match against Kelantan, Terengganu were very much the underdog as the home side opened their account with a win over Selangor at Shah Alam to collect all three points and at the same time laid their hands on the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah trophy for the first time.

mad redo1 thought of going to the match but shelved the idea due to unforeseen circumstance.

Everything went according to the script (at least for the Kelantanese) when they scored through their skipper Badri Radzi who opened the scoring midway through the first half. However, they failed to build on that and could not find their way past Sharbinee Allawee again.

Then in the 68th minute the Sultan Mohamad IV Stadium fell silent when Terengganu captain Marzuki Yusof headed home past Khairul Fahmi from a Joseph Kalang cross to level the score. Of course a handful of Terengganu fans who made their way up to Kota Bahru could only celebrate in their heart as loud celebration would only detriment their safety.

In the end both teams deserved the point gained from the match.

T-Team on the other hand could not build their momentum from the draw in Alor Setar as they suffered to a 3-1 defeat at 'home' to Negeri Sembilan. 'Home' for T-Team for this match is Negeri Sembilan's Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi as the Sultan Ismail Nasirudin Shah Stadium in Kuala Terengganu was still undergoing upgrading works.

Veteran Idris Karim scored a double with Firdaus Azizul notching the other as Negeri Sembilan recorded their second win, maintaining their 100% record in the process. T-Team skipper Rosdi Talib scored his side only goal of the match, the equaliser just before the interval.

The win left Terengganu and T-Team in ninth and thirteenth position respectively of the fourteen teams Super League. However it is still early days and fans will be hoping both teams will improve as the season goes on.


...

The Season...

...is Nigh

After a flurry of activities in December, this page saw a decrease of entries that could be equalled to the state of hibernation. But with the start of the 2011 Malaysian League season is imminent, mad redo1 should have written something about that to ensure his writing will not go stale.

For the second consecutive season Terengganu will have two representatives in the Super League. Whereas last season was seen as a learning season season for club side PBDKT T-Team (T-Team), this season they seem to be going all out to ensure success will come their way.

T-Team and the state FA side Terengganu made a number of additions to their squad this season but the star attraction of course would be Indra Putra Mahyuddin who together with Nor Farhan Mohamad and Azizi Mat Rose made the trip down from neighbour Kelantan.

The Malaysia Cup winner was none too happy and had reported the trio to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for a breach of contract. However, the charge was found to be baseless as it was Kelantan who failed to follow the stipulated rules when offering a new contract to players whose current deal is ending.

Apart from the three players, T-Team also welcome Zairo Anuar Zailani who made a short trip from Terengganu. Going the opposite way were striker Abdul Hadi Yahya, midfielders Ismail Faruqi and Mohamad Fakhrurazi plus goalkeeper Mohamad Shahril Sha'ari.

Terengganu also signed up defenders Nik Zul Aziz and Hasmizan Kamarodin, along with free agent Reeshafiq Alwi whose former team KL PLUS pulled out from the Malaysian League altogether; and midfielder Shafuan Adli from Perak.

However the spotlight would be more on T-Team, especially with the star signings who will be joining force with the old faces such as Haris Safwan Kamal, Rosdi Talib, Syamsuri Mustafa, Subri Sulong, Norfazly Alias and others.

Terengganu meanwhile will hope the new signings would strengthen the team and combine well with skipper Marzuki Yusof, Abdul Manaf Mamat, last season Super League topscorer Ashari Shamsuddin, Sharbinee Allawee, Joseph Kalang and other players at Head Coach Irfan Bakti's disposal.

It will be every Terengganu football fans hope to see both teams do well in the Malaysian League scene. It will be unbridled joy for these success starved fans if either one of them is able to land their hands on a trophy this season, if both of them do, the better.

So, to both teams; mad redo1 wishes THE BEST OF LUCK


...

One Out of Two...

...Not Bad, Not Bad At All

Terengganu secured their place in the last eight of the 2010 Malaysia Cup competition with almost the last kick of their match against Kuala Lumpur at the KLFA Stadium in Cheras last night. Sitting in third place prior to the final Group B match The Turtles began well with skipper Marzuki Yusof heading the visitors in front from a set piece.

However, Kuala Lumpur who were already eliminated from the competition after their defeat against Pahang on Wednesday decided not to make it easy for Irfan Bakti's boys. They leveled the score early in the second half and despite creating a host of chances Terengganu simply could not find the way past the stubborn home defence.

With Pahang and Sabah tied at 1-1 in Kuantan, Terengganu were facing elimination from the competition which they have managed to qualify for the semi-finals in the last two seasons. Then the Malaysian Super League topscorer, Ashaari Shamsuddin stepped up his game and with time ticking away, unleashed a powerful shot that gave KL goalkeeper no chance.

Cue pandemonium on the terraces where many Ganu fans had gathered to give their support for their beloved Turtles. Unfortunately the same cannot be said with the scenario in Kuala Terengganu where T-Team were facing Felda United.

The Terengganu club-side needed to win big against the 2010 Premier League Champions while hoping for Selangor to win their match against Perlis in Kangar. In the outset, it seemed like an impossible situation.


They began well though and threatened Zainal Rabin's goal early on. Unfortunately they could not maintain the momentum and the match turned into a bore for the spectators, a feeling that was reflected by the lifeless drum beating by the T-Team supporters.

The pace only picked up in the second half but it took a huge error by the Felda United defence which opened up the space for Mohd Haris Safwan to score and put T-Team in the lead. However, the lead only lasted for three minutes when the home side goalkeeper, Ismail Abdul Rahman made a rash challenge on a Felda United player.

The referee had no option but to award a penalty to Felda United. It was duly converted and the 1-1 score remained till the final whistle. If only they showed more composure and creativity they could have overhauled Perlis which were beaten 2-0 by The Red Giants, thus creating history by having two Terengganu teams for the first time in the Malaysia Cup quarter finals.

Alas, it was not meant to be. Now all support will be channeled to Terengganu team which will take on one of their bogey teams in Kedah in the last eight. The first leg will be on 12-10-2010 in Kuala Terengganu with the return leg in Alor Setar four days later.


C'mon Turtles!


...