# Champions Selangor thrash under-strength Kelantan 4-1 to advance
# Felda United confirm their berth with 3-0 win over Terengganu to top Group D
# Malacca United back in contention after 2-0 win over N. Sembilan
By Rizal Abdullah
Defending champions Selangor were virtually handed a place in the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals from Group B on a silver platter with a 4-1 whitewash of Kelantan at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota Bahru on Friday.
Playing with an under-strength team after having confirmed their place in the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Kuala Lumpur earlier in the week the Red Warriors also found themselves relegated to second place in the group after the big defeat to Selangor.
The Red Giants carved out the big win under caretaker coach K. Gunalan despite playing with only 10-players after Bunyamin Umar was given the sack on 47 minutes for a second bookable offence.
Selangor and Kelantan have 10 points each after five matches but the Red Giants are on top on goal difference.
The match was all Selangor’s when Abdul Hadi Yahya converted a penalty in the 22nd minute after Liberian Patrick Ronaldinho Wleh was felled inside the box. In the following five minutes Selangor were 3-0 up and in cruise mode.
Gopinathan took over the scoring with his first of the two on the night came in the 24th minute when he finished off a Ronaldinho pass. Two minutes later it was 3-0 with the Liberian getting his name into the scoresheet – putting the finishing touches to a pass from Andik Vermansyah.
Kelantan pulled one back on 36 minute and it came off the penalty spot after Indra Putra Mahayuddin was brought down inside the box by Nigerian defender Ugo Ukah. Wan Zahrulnizam Zakaria made no mistake from the spot to beat Selangor custodian Khairul Azhan Khalid.
Kelantan failed to up their tempo despite the numerical advantage in the second half and it was Selangor who scored again. Gopinathan got his second on the night when he tapped in a cross from Ronaldinho with Kelantan goalkeeper Sharizan Ismail caught stranded.
Felda United confirmed their place at the top of Group D with a 3-0 win over Terengganu at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Kuala Terengganu. The win gave The Fighters top spot in the group with 12 points.
Norfazly Alias (19th), Francis Forkey Doe (43rd) and Zah Rahan Krangar (79th) completed the job for Felda against the Turtles.
Meanwhile, 100PLUS Premier League leaders Malacca United are back in contention for a place in the quarter-finals from the group after a 2-0 win against Negri Sembilan at the Hang Jebat Stadium in Malacca.
Once again it was Malacca’s influential skipper Ilija Spasojevic who got the goals for his team with strikes in the eighth and 32nd minutes.
With the win Malacca have six points and third place in the group while Negri remained second with nine points. The final group positions will be decided on Aug 19 when the preliminary round group matches are played.
MALAYSIA CUP RESULTS (Aug 12)
GROUP B
Pahang 2 K. Lumpur 1
Kelantan 1 Selangor 4
GROUP D
Malacca 2 N. Sembilan 0
Terengganu 0 Felda United 3
