Sarawak’s mini revival continued positively as they sealed an emphatic 3-0 win over Perak at the Ipoh Stadium earlier today.
Perak named a strong line-up with Elias Fernandes leading their offensive department, as they pushed to bounce back from their disappointing defeat against the Crocs earlier this week.
But they couldn’t translate that into dominance in the early stages of the game, as the tempo ended up being incredibly nervy. Both sides were cautious in their approach and the first real chance only came on the 10th minute mark. Fazrul Hazli found space on the left flank and crossed into the box, but it didn’t get the finish it deserved.
Thiago’s header on the 18th minute mark was saved brilliantly, while Elias’ speedy run five minutes later was expertly ended by Davide Grassi, who tackled him cleanly before clearing it into distance.
But Sarawak were handed a golden opportunity on the 32nd minute as Thiago was adjudged to have fouled Ndumba Makeche inside the penalty box. Junior Aparecido stepped up and fired home to make it 1-0 on the night.
Perak responded by withdrawing Nurhakim Isa before introducing Vokhid Shodiev. But besides Eric Week’s key opportunity on the 43rd minute, they barely created anything upfront as the match went into half-time.
After the break, Perak pushed forward with plenty of pace, looking to revive their fortunes but Sarawak did an excellent job at just keeping it tight in the first 10 minutes or so. Their composure frustrated Perak and eventually allowed Sarawak to claw themselves back into the game.
On the 65th minute, they finally doubled their lead, courtesy of Ndumba Makeche’s fine finish. Just when Perak were looking to regroup and force a comeback, they were dealt with a major blow as ex-Kelantan man Gilmar scored to make it 3-0 on the night.
The third goal effectively nailed Perak’s coffin as they struggled to muster a comeback, looking visibly demotivated in the process. The last 10 minutes or so was incredibly draggy but Sarawak eventually held on for a momentous win that will undoubtedly help their mission of surviving in the MSL this year.
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