Pahang continued to cement their place at the top of the table after sealing a comfortable 2-0 win over ATM at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan yesterday. The home side were dangerous from kick off and broke the deadlock on the 13th minute through Dickson Nwakaeme’s neat finish, after a fine assist from R. Gopinathan. About 20 minutes later, the Nigerian forward slammed home his second goal of the game to put Pahang 2-0 ahead. ATM could have reduced the deficit in the second half, but Jerry Palacios’ attemp was parried away effectively by Khairul Azhan – thus ensuring Pahang seal valuable three points and keep a clean sheet on the day.
Felda United and Kelantan played out a 0-0 draw at the Selayang Stadium yesterday, which further extends Kelantan’s unbeaten record to five games. Ndumba Makeche could have scored the first goal of the match on the 26th minute, but his attempt was saved brilliantly by Khairul Fahmi Che Mat. Erwin Carillo also missed a glorious opportunity for Kelantan in the second half, firing his spot kick against the bar. On the 75th minute mark, Felda’s best chance of the game arrived, but yet again, the post denied Zah Rahan Krangar’s powerful attempt, as the match fulfilled it’s supposed ‘destiny’ of ending scoreless.
Perak succumbed to their third straight defeat at the Shah Alam Stadium last night as PDRM ran out 3-2 victors. Ashfaq Ali striked first blood within the first 10 minutes to put the home side ahead and they could have increased it substantially, if not for Thiago Aquino’s performance at the heart of Perak’s defence. Dramane Traore eventually scored their second goal on the 58th minute, before Ashfaq made it 3-0 just 10 minutes later. Just when you thought the game was about to end comfortably for the home side, Thiago Aquino fired a powerful strike on the 92nd minute. And just a minute later, Horace James made it 3-2, with a well-executed finish from the edge of the six-yard area. But PDRM eventually held on for the win, much to the Seladangs’ frustration.
Sarawak and Selangor battled out a 1-1 draw at the Stadium Negeri in Kuching. Despite the home side being backed by their boisterous fans, Selangor took the lead through Andik Vermansyah on the 39th minute. Sarawak kept pushing for an equalizer, but a combination of bad luck and wasted opportunities allowed the away side to preserve their lead, going into half time. After the break though, Sarawak eventually got their equalizer through Patrick Gerhardt, and they held on till the end to secure a solitary point.
Meanwhile, JDT sent Pahang a timely warning that they are not prepared to give up on the title, by sealing a sensational 4-0 win over Sime Darby last night. Lucho Figueroa netted the opening goal on the half hour mark to make it 1-0, before Asraruddin Putra made it 2-0 just before the break. Four minutes after the restart, the impressive Figueroa threaded a through pass for Safiq Rahim who latched onto it before firing home to make it 3-0. 22 minutes before time, Figueroa scored his second goal of the match to make it 4-0, thus ensuring that JDT complete a resounding win on the day.
In Kuala Terengganu, Issey Nakajima was the star of the day as his two goals helped the Turtles romp to an emphatic 4-2 win over LionsXII. Helmi Remeli scored on the 7th minute to get the game going, before Madhu Mohana equalized on the 25th minute. Just 60 seconds later though, Issey Nakajima netted the first of his two goals to restore Terengganu’s lead. He went on to score again, seven minutes after the restart to make it 3-1, though Hafiz Sujad reduced the deficit just one minute later. But the home side eventually got their two-goal lead back, as Norshahrul found the back of the net on the 56th minute, before holding on the secure the win.
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