SHAH ALAM (12 April 2015) – With three teams bunched on 14 points each after seven matches, former kingpins Selangor are perched at the top of the Malaysian Super League on goal difference after the 3-1 win over relegation threatened Armed Forces followed by Felda United and Terengganu.
Felda United and Terengganu had scored identical 3-2 winners over Police and Perak respectively.
Fourth placed Johor Darul Takzim returned home with a point from their scoreless draw against Lions XII at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore while previous leaders Police were stunned in the last eight minutes of play which saw Felda United walk away with full points at the Selayang Stadium in a match which was played under heavy weather.
The come from behind wins by Felda United and Terengganu made sure that the top seven positions in the top flight remained tight.
Perak grabbed the lead through South Korean import Namkung Woong, who has turned out to be a good buy from Kedah. The Korean found the net after 21 minutes before the Turtles went ahead with goals by Vincent Bikana and (62nd) and Ismail Faruqi ((73rd).
It was 2-2 when Brazilian Charles Souza Chad hit the back of the net on 81 minutes but then turned villain when he muffed a penalty.
Perak were punished Helmi Remeli netted the winner in the 83rd minute to give Terengganu a moral boosting win who will meet Perak yet again at the same venue on April 22 in the return-leg FA Cup quarter-final match.
The first-leg encounter in Kuala Terengganu last week had ended 1-1.
On the other hand, Felda United came back from the brink of defeat – thanks to coach Irfan Bakti’s foreigners.
Much criticised Edward Junior Wilson grabbed the winner with a cheeky flick in injury time. Police had taken the lead through Muslim Ahmad after 24 minutes when his freekick took a deflection and went in. Maldive national skipper Ali Ashfaq scored Police’s second in the 32nd minute after Syamim Yahya equaliser on 26 minutes.
Australian Ndumba Makeche had then levelled the score at 2-2 following the play-up by Wilson.
Selangor’s hero was Afiq Azmi who got a double at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi – in the eighth and 51st minutes. Under performing Leandro Dos Santos got the third via a penalty (71st) as Armed Forces’ consolation goal came through a deflected freekick by Mario Karlovic (25th).
In Kota Bahru it was another poor show by Emmanuel Kenmogne (Cameroon) and Pupo Isaac (Liberia) as Kelantan slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Pahang at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium.
It was Pahang’s first win in 12 years against the Red Warriors in Kota Baru.
Pahang netted through Damion Stewart (40th) and Dickson Nwakaeme (55th) to give the Elephants full points and their third win in seven matches.
In Kuching, 10-man Sarawak edged Sime Darby 2-1 with goals by Liberian Patrick Gerhardt and Billy Mehmet while Reinaldo Da Costa netted the consolation goal for the plantation giants who are rooted at the bottom of the league. Sarawak had Ramesh Lai red carded after 48 minutes.
SUPER LEAGUE RESULTS (APRIL 11)
LIONS X11 0 JDT 0
PERAK 2 TERENGGANU 3
ARMED FORCES 1 SELANGOR 3
KELANTAN 0 PAHANG 2
FELDA UNITED 3 POLICE 2
SARAWAK 2 SIME DARBY 1
