Perak named a reshuffled squad, with the likes of Beto and Eric Weeks Lewis being given some time off on the bench. Nasir Basharuddin and Kenny Palraj stepped in to play in midfield, with Nurridzuan and Elias occupying the flanks. Pahang on the other hand, pushed Zesh Rehman to midfield, with Dalibor Volas spearheading their attack.
With the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup match between Malaysia and Australia taking place at the same time, attendance was visibly reduced, though it did not stop Perak from making an explosive start. Within 8 minutes into the game, Vokhid Shodiev unleashed a volley to put Perak 1-0 ahead.
But just when Perak were trying to ease their dominance into the game, Pahang restored parity through a brilliant header from Dalibor Volas, making it 1-1. But Shamsul Saad’s men weren’t detered. Perak kept working hard, but the reshuffled midfield seemed a little lacklustre. Kenny in particular, was guilty of constantly losing possession and there was visibly a lack of creativity as well, which forced Shodiev to drop down relatively often.
There were a couple of clear-cut chances though. Nurridzuan’s shot was saved by Nasril Nourdin while Elias’ attempt on the 19th minute missed the target by quite a bit. The only other spark that emerged out of a relatively scrappy affair was Pahang’s second goal.
With three minutes left on the clock, the home side looked happy to take the game into the break, but a fantastic move from Pahang allowed Volas to slot home his second goal of the night, handing Pahang the lead.
After the break, Perak responded by increasing the tempo offensively. But the absence of Beto and Eric Weeks seemed to be taking a major toll on their ability to break Pahang’s defence apart. That said, a quick-counter attack found Elias on the edge of the six-yard area and the Brazilian made no mistakes by firing home to make it 2-2.
Pahang’s response was strong and it came 12 minutes later. Just as Perak were beginning to pile more men upfront, looking for the coveted lead, Pahang capitalized on a defensive mistake to push forward and reclaim their lead through German Pachecho, leaving Razip Ismail absolutely ecstatic on the touchlines.
Perak responded by bringing on Beto, much to the joy of home fans present within the stadium. And he responded in style too. Three minutes after his introduction, Beto showed terrific composure to outsmart Nasril Nordin and score into an empty goal, making it 3-3 on the night.
The goal had a trickle-down effect on the fans within the ground, as cheers got louder, pushing for a potential late win. Beto in particular, was instrumental in initiating attacks, though they lacked penetration on the final third. Shodiev was marked closely by Potokar, which barely allowed him any space as well.
But the nature of the game demanded a blockbuster ending – something that Pahang eventually provided in injury time. Dalibor Volas – who has been widely criticized in 2016, completed his hat-rick to help Pahang seal an unprecedented win that will undoubtedly boost their morale.
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