Perak secured their first Malaysia Super League win of the season after battling out a five-goal thriller against Terengganu earlier tonight.
The Seladangs have had a mixed season thus far, having done well in the FA Cup. But their MSL position remained questionable, especially after the 4-3 defeat to Pahang last time out.
But Shamsul Saad’s men looked lively in this game and they eventually broke the deadlock on the 22nd minute, through a fine finish from Fazrul Hazli.
The home side were handed a major opportunity five minutes later, as Issey Nakajima was brought down inside Perak’s penalty box. The Canadian forward stepped up and dispatched a composed attempt to make it 1-1 on the night.
The game was far more lively after the break though, with Perak seizing the initiative to push for their first three points of the season. They started playing a lot deeper, allowing Terengganu to bring the game towards them whilst hoping for open spaces to launch counter-attacks.
While that didn’t quite happen, the Seladangs were granted a spot-kick on the 55th minute, after a goalmouth scramble resulted in a Terengganu player handling the ball. Elias Fernandes fired home from the spot to restore Perak’s lead in the game.
Shamsul responded instantly by withdrawing Vokhid Shodiev for Muhammad Hafiz, a move that was evidently part of his plans to park the bus. But merely three minutes later, Perak increased their lead as Elias fired his second of the night, after a glorious assist from Eric Weeks, to make it 3-1.
Terengganu’s fervent desire and passion didn’t go to waste. While they weren’t able to find the target through open play, the Turtles were gifted a spot-kick on the 86th minute, after a foul inside the box. Yet again, Issey found the back of the net comfortably to reduce the deficit and make it 3-2.
The goal sparked a late push for the home side, though to Perak’s credit, they managed to hang on and secure valuable three points that’ll undoubtedly remove some pressure from Shamsul Saad’s shoulders.
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