Felda United maintained their pressure on Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in the Super League title race, after beating Selangor 2-1 in a pulsating game at the Shah Alam Stadium, earlier tonight.
Irfan Bakti’s side got off to a dream start when Forkey Doe opened the scoring at the 2nd minute, after Zah Rahan sent in a precise over-the-top-ball. The Liberian striker managed to stay onside, before controlling the ball and clinically dispatching it past Khairul Azhan.
The Fighters controlled most of the half but couldn’t add on to their lead with some wasteful passing, leaving Irfan Bakti a frustrated figure when the referee blew the half-time whistle. The Red Giants could only rely on counter-attacks, and their best chance fell to Patrick Ronaldinho. Hazwan Bakri found the Liberian from the right, but the striker took one touch too many and the ball was calmly collected by Farizal Harun.
The 2nd 45 minutes began like how it ended, with Felda controlling possession and they almost extended their lead when Zah Rahan’s shot from in front of goal was blocked by Ugo Ukah. Selangor capitalised on that miss by scoring the equalizer soon after via Patrick Ronaldinho’s tap in. It was supposed to be a routine save for Farizal when Hazwan crossed the ball from the left, but it went through the shot-stopper’s legs, only for the unmarked Liberian to slot home.
Irfan Bakti rallied his men despite conceding against the run of play, and their effort was rewarded when Forkey Doe scored his second of the night to regain Felda’s advantage, after some shoddy defending from Selangor. Zainal Abidin’s side then played with an increased sense of urgency to hunt for another equalizer, but Nazmi Faiz squandered a great opportunity when his volley blazed over the bar.
The final whistle couldn’t come soon enough for The Fighters as they held on and collected three crucial points to maintain their title aspirations.
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