* Red Warriors end Selangor’s five-match winning run with 2-1 win
* Nightmare 20 minutes for Terengganu as Police win 3-1
* Pahang edge Felda United 1-0
Kelantan ended Selangor’s five-match winning streak with a 2-1 win in Saturday’s Super League biggie at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota Bahru – dubbed the ‘Battle of the Reds’ to signal that revival under new head coach Azraai Khor Abdullah.
It was sweet win for Azraai and his Red Warriors in the much awaited match against the Red Giants who went into battle as the Super League leaders after their emphatic 4-0 win over Lions XII at home last week.
With the defeat in Kota Bahru the Red Giants slipped to second place as Police surprised Terengganu 3-1 at the Shah Stadium to regain their top spot with 18 points from nine matches. Selangor and Felda United, beaten 1-0 by Pahang at the Selayang Stadium, are second and third respectively with 17 points each, separated by goal difference.
Kelantan, who whipped Sime Darby in a return-leg FA Cup quarter-final to march into the semi-finals 4-1 on aggregate, needed only five minutes to take the lead with a dipping header by new signing Gilmar Da Silva Filho from a corner kick by skipper Badhri Radzi. It was the Brazilian’s first goal for the Red Warriors.
However, Selangor hit back six minutes later with a brilliant attempt by Nazmi Faiz Mansor to turn the match into a thrilling affair with the fans from both teams fully involved in their own ‘battle’ in the stands.
But it were Kelantan who showed more hunger in their game since they signed Filho and Nigerian Austin Amutu during the April transfer window, struck the killer blow through substitute Norfarhan Muhammad on 73 minutes – a just after coming on for Badhri – to send the home fans wild with a low shot into the Selangor goal.
It was a nightmarish start for Terengganu in the opening 20 minutes against Police – conceding three goals due to defensive lapses with two of them coming from Hemeli Remeli Ibrahim’s.
Police opened accounts after seven minutes when Hemeli failed to stop Shahurain Abu Samah and the former Negri Sembilan player took three strides before unleashing an unstoppable shot past Terengganu custodian Sharbinee Allawee. Mali international Dramane Troare made it 2-0 on 17 minutes before Maldives national skipper Ali Ashfaq planted a delightful left footer into the Terengganu left corner after Hemeli was slow to cut him off. Police 3-0 after 21 minutes.
Police goalkeeper Wilfred Jabun turned out to be a stumbling block to Terengganu’s Brazilian striker Paulo Ranger and Gustavo Lopze but could not deny Canadian international Issey Nakajima from pulling one back for the Turtles in injury time to finalise the score at 3-1.
At the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore, Lions XII snatched full points off Sarawak with a 1-0 win – thanks to Khairul Nizam Kamal’s 59th minite goal.
Pahang have their Nigerian hot shot Dickson Nwakaeme to thank in their 1-0 win over high riding Feld United. The Nigerian scored the winner in the 53rd minute to frustrate the plantation giants from going to the top of the table.
Bottom-placed Sime Darby drew 1-1 with Armed Forces at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi as the two teams remained in the relegation zone. The soldiers drew first blood through Honduras World Cupper Jerry Palacios (29th) before Nemanja Vidakovic (45th) made it all square.
SUPER LEAGUE RESULTS (APRIL 25)
KELANTAN 2 SELANGOR 1
POLICE 3 TERENGGANU 1
FELDA UNITED 0 PAHANG 0
LIONS XII 1 SARAWAK 0
