PKNS FC are through to the FA Cup final after an intense second-leg win over Perak, securing a 4-3 win on aggregate earlier tonight.
After a thrilling first leg, the build-up towards this particular clash was sensational. Approximately 30,000 tickets were sold out for the game, and fans flooded into the stadium, hoping to spur Perak into the final major cup final since 2007.
But the battle was tricky for Perak. Syamsul Saad would have had a difficult time fielding a starting 11, especially with Elias suspended and Vokhid Shodiev out with an injury. But Fazrul Hazli was tasked with leading their line, while Nurridzuan and Eric Weeks Lewis were on the bench.
PKNS on the other hand, opted to lead with Gabriel Guerra, who played a starring role in their first leg draw.
The home side started positively, buoyed an incredible home support. But PKNS sparked a deafening silence on the 7th minute mark as Gonzalo Soto found the back of the net to make it 1-0 on the night.
With PKNS 3-2 ahead on aggregate, Perak upped their tempo and began pushing forward. But Fazrul was struggling to create space, while Nurridzuan was struggling to hold on to possession, despite being fed extensively by Beto.
Syamsul Saad responded by bringing on Nurhakim Isa on the 20th minute mark, to spark some form of creativity in the middle of the park. It shifted the tempo of the game, allowing Perak to dominate the ball and push forward.
On the 25th minute, Fazrul found space on the edge of the box and fired a shot that unfortunately went above the bar. Moments later, Eric provided a clinical through ball that found Fazrul inside PKNS box. The experienced forward did well to jink the ball away from one defender, though his final shot missed the target.
Perak kept pushing forward in search of the equalizer, but at certain times, they were relatively guilty of not taking their chances. A key example of that arrived on the 38th minute. Beto and Eric worked well on the flanks before finding Fazrul inside the box. The striker though opted to engage several passes with Nurridzuan, instead of attempting to hit the back of the net.
Tension increased within the grounds towards the end of the first half, with PKNS committing fouls constantly. But Perak’s inability to capitalise on set-piece opportunities meant that the game went into half-time scoreless.
That said, merely 45 seconds into the second half, Perak restored parity. A goalmouth scramble allowed Nazirul Naim to fire home and send the home crowd into frenzy mode.
But somehow, the home side dropped their tempo after the goal, allowing PKNS to claw themselves back into the game. Nurhakim Isa in particular, was guilty of losing possession way too often, despite being brilliant prior to that.
Gabriel Guerra missed two key chances between the 50th minute and 60th minute. On the 65th minute, E. Elavarasan brought on Shahurain Abu Samah to add a little more pace on the flank and it worked almost immediately as the ex-Negeri Sembilan player provided an inch-perfect cross on the 68th minute, allowing Cobelli to head home and put PKNS ahead in the game
The goal left the home crowd dumbfounded, as the Perak players began to scramble forward in search of the winner. Predictably, a flurry of chances were created, particularly through Beto, who was brilliant on the night.
But Perak’s inability to maximize and convert their opportunities meant that the scoreline remained till the end, as PKNS effectively broke almost 30,000 hearts inside the stadium, en route to booking their FA Cup final slot.
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