Selangor FA defender Robert Cornthwaite believes that Afiq Azmi deserves all the plaudits that are coming his way and that it was a matter of time before he started banging in the goals.
Afiq was Selangor’s star last night, scoring a hat-rick as they clinched a 4-0 victory over LionsXII at the Shah Alam Stadium. The goals did come as a massive relief as well, considering his struggles throughout 2014.
Rob Cornthwaite though, isn’t surprised at all. “He is always difficult to play against in training,” he told FourthOfficial.com
“He’s been great in the last two games and I’ve always known that if he got the chance, he’d be ready to explode. So I think he deserves all the praises that have been coming his way.”
Afiq scored a three goals within the first 20 minutes of the game, giving Selangor a comfortable lead with more than half of the game left to play. That allowed the Red Giants to dictate proceedings and eventually keep a clean sheet as well.
“As a defender, you always hope that your team scores early to take the pressure off your shoulder. But to score three in such a short space of time; it was a dream,” Rob enthused.
The victory also ensured that they continue to lead the Super League table, ahead of Felda United. Selangor fans would have never expected this at the beginning of the season as they had a topsy-turvy start, but a revival in fortunes has also benefited the squad morale significantly.
“It’s been amazing, this last six weeks. All the boys are full of confidence and you can see that in way we’re playing. We know we can create a lot of chances, and in the last five games, we’ve been taking them as well.
“Everyone knows we had a tough start to the league, but we picked up some very important points against Johor DT and Pahang. More importantly, our comeback win against Felda United in the FA Cup, was crucial in giving the boys plenty of belief.”
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