# Super League champions JDT held to 1-1 draw
# Kelantan thrash Terengganu 3-0 in Kota Bahru
# Pahang hold Sarawak to 1-1 draw in Kuching
# Selangor’s Nazmi Faiz Mansor gets another sack
By Rizal Abdullah
Defending Super League champions Johor Darul Takzim dropped points in their come-from-behind 1-1 draw at the Darulaman Stadium in Alor Setar on Saturday.
With the draw the Southern Tigers remained second in the table with 21 points on goal difference from nine matches. Felda United, with a game in hand, top the league with the same number of points.
The stalemate in the league match comes in the wake of Kedah’s 2-1 win over the Southern Tigers in a FA Cup first-leg semi-final match at the same venue last week. Kedah became the first team this year to have beaten JDT in all competitions.
JDT and Kedah will square up again on April 30 for the return-leg FA Cup match – this time at the Larkin Stadium in Johor Bahru.
What is more remarkable for the Red Eagles is that they held JDT to a draw just days after a surprise 4-1 beating at the hands of T-Team in a mid-week league match in Kuala Terengganu.
Kedah were already 1-0 inside one minute with Baddrol Bakhtiar putting the finishing touches to a cross from the left by Farhan Roslan which caught the entire JDT backline led by Marcos Antonio napping.
The home fans were celebrating and Kedah goalkeeper Farhan Abu Bakar was a stumbling block to JDT’s Argentine firepower Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Juan Martin Lucero. Farhan was quick off the mark several times and denied JDT scoring chances which left Lucero and company shaking their heads.
However deep into three minutes of added time JDT drew level through a penalty which Lucero converted after Kedah’s South Korean defender Bang Seung-hwan felled Diaz inside the box.
Things were hot with players from both sides pulling no punches with crunchy tackles with five bookings – four to JDT and one to Kedah.
At the State Stadium in Kuching the Crocs remained at the bottom of the Super League with a 1-1 draw against Pahang. Brazilian midfielder Juninho Aparecido who also holds a Timor Leste passport gave Sarawak the lead on 29 minutes but Slovenia striker Dalibor Volas got the equaliser for Pahang after 55 minutes.
It was a different story for Kelantan at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium when the Red Warriors outplayed bitter rivals and neighbours Terengganu for their third win in nine matches.
The win came in the wake of Kelantan’s 4-3 defeat to Pahang in Kuantan in a mid-week match.
Wan Zack Haikal (14th minute), Wan Zaharulnizam Zakaria (62nd) and Fakhrul Zaman Zawawi (89th) did the damage on a night when Terengganu still looked unsettled under their new coach Mike Mulvey.
It was Terengganu’s fourth defeat under the England-born Australian who took over the hot-seat from Ahmad Yusof who has been told to “take a rest” after the Turtles were shown the exit in the FA Cup second round.
Under Mulvey, the Turtles have lost to Felda United (4-1), Police (3-1) and Perak (3-2) before drubbing in Kota Bahru.
International Faiz Nazmi Mansor, known for his red cards, picked up another sacking for a crude tackle as Police shared the spoils with a scoreless draw with Selangor at the Hang Jebat Stadium in Malacca.
SUPER LEAGUE RESULTS (April 23)
Police 0 Selangor 0
Kedah 1 JDT 1
Sarawak 1 Pahang 1
Kelantan 3 Terengganu 0
CURRENT STANDINGS
