KUANTAN (28 June 2015) – The “Kuantan Jinx” for Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) continued as Super League leaders Pahang salvaged a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s league match at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan.
The stalemate in Kuantan kept the Elephants on the top of the with 27 points from 13 matches with defending champions JDT second on 25 points. Selangor, 2-0 winners over crippled Terengganu and Perak, who came from behind to win 3-1 against bottom-placed Sime Darby, are in third and fourth place with 24 points each but separated by goal difference.
Felda United and Police are fifth and sixth respectively with 21 points each but goal difference also separating both teams after 13 matches.
JDT went ahead through substitute Amri Yahyah when the international beat Pahang’s offisde trap and then rounded goalkeeper Khairul Azhan before rolling the ball into an empty net on 67 minutes – much tgo the joy of the visiting fans and JDT bench.
However, all that changed four minutes later. JDT conceded a corner and Hafiz Kamal’s ball into the box created confusion in the JDT defence. R. Gopinathan kept the ball alive during the scramble and Nigerian Dickson Nwakaeme was at the right place inside the six-year box to toe the ball home to make it 1-1.
At the State Stadium in Kuching, Felda United ended Sarawak’s unbeaten home run in the league this season to an end with a 2-0 win despite muffing a penalty in the 25th minute when Bojan Miladinovic ballooned his spot after Thiago Ausguto was felled inside the box.
The visitor’s needed only 11 minutes for their first goal with a delightful goal from former Armed Forces player Christee Jayaseelan whose long range attempt beat Sarawak goalkeeper Iqbal Suhaimi all the way. Augusto got the second via a header off a corner by Indra Putra Mahayuddin in the 58th minute.
“We deserve to win…we came with a match plan and it worked. My players gave a committed and disciplined performance for the full points,” said Felda United coach Irfan Bakti.
Terengganu, crippled by suspensions and injuries, found the going tough at the Shah Alam Stadium and fell to goals by Abdul Hadi Yahya (4th minute) and Robert Cornthwaite 23rd). The Turtles are sorely missing their Brazilian ace Paulo Rangel who is serving a three-month suspension for gross indiscipline.
On Saturday, Terengganu chief coach Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, had to make do without Vincent Bikana who also sat out the match because of suspension while Issey Nakajima is injured.
At the Selayang Stadium, Perak were a goal down after 15 minutes when Marko Perovic found the net for Sime Darby. The visitors, however, made sure of full points with goals by Horace James (30th), Charles Chad Souza (45th) and international Nasir Basharuddin (75th) for a 3-1 win.
SUPER LEAGUE RESULTS (SATURDAY JUNE 27)
SELANGOR 2 TERENGGANU 0
SARAWAK 0 FELDA UNITED 2
PAHANG 1 JDT 1
SIME DARBY 1 PERAK 3
(FRIDAY JUNE 26)
POLICE 2 LIONS XII 1
