* Kelantan stay alive with 1-0 win over K. Lumpur
* JDT II edge Kedah 1-0 in Alor Star
* Penang dump N.Sembilan 2-1 in Paroi
Plantation giants Sime Darby, struggling in the Super League, came out with their guns blazing as they destroyed Police 4-2 at the Selayang Stadium to advance to the FA Cup quarter-finals.
It was Sime Darby’s show – riding on a brace by Nemanja Vidakovic in a four-minute spell which began in the 75th minute. Police riding high in the Super League and last year;s Premier League champions, had no answer to a resurgent Sime Darby despite taking the lead in the first minute through their Mali Olympian Dramane Traore.
When Uzbek Dilshod Shaforetidnov headed home the equaliser in the final minute of the first half the tide changed as the homesters wrested control after the break and duly went 2-1 ahead through Ivan Dragicevic. Police were back on equal terms when Muhamadou Sumaresh found the net on 63 minutes but Vidakovic changed it all with two quick goals.
At the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota Bahru, former champions Kelantan stayed alive with a hard fought 1-0 win over Kuala Lumpur international Wan Zack Haikal came off the bench to score the only goal in the 66th minute on a night when coach George Boateng was missing.
Team manager Azman Ibrahim later said that the former Dutch international was on sick leave while many claimed that he is being rested from handling the team following the1-0 defeat to Felda United in a league match. It was Kelantan’s second home defeat in the league this season after the 4-0 hammering at the hands of Police.
Johor Darul Takzim II kept the Johor flag flying in the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Kedah at the Darulaman Stadium with former JDT player Akram Mahinan’s 88th minute scorcher.
Inaugural FA Cup winners Perak humbled 4-2 by Police in the league came back with vengeance to T-Team out of the competition with a come-from-behind 2-1 win at the Perak Stadium in Ipoh. The Titans took an early 15th minute lead through Uzbek Farhod Tadjiev. South Korean Namkung Woong, who played for Kedah last season struck twice – in the 17th and 32nd minutes – for a 2-1 win.
Negri Sembilan suffered an embarassing exit in the FA Cup in their own den at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi when they went down 2-1 to Penang. The homesters took the lead through Shahril Saad only for Bento Goncalves to equalise for the visitors. Penang’s South Korean hitman Lee Gil-hoon turned match winner in the 80th minute.
FA CUP THIRD ROUND RESULS (March 18)
N. Sembilan 1 Penang 2
Sime Darby 4 Police 2
Kelantan 1 K. Lumpur 0
Perak 2 T-Team 1
Kedah 0 JDT II 1
PICTURES by www.asiana.my
