Missed penalty denies Rhinos win
Lee Gil Hoon missed a stoppage me penalty kick as the Borneo derby between Sabah and Sarawak ended 1-1 at the Likas Stadium last night.
KOTA KINABALU: Lee Gil Hoon missed a stoppage time penalty kick as the Borneo derby between Sabah and Sarawak ended 1-1 at the Likas Stadium here last night.
The South Korean forward's shot bounced off the crossbar in what seemed to be the last kick of the match.
The Crocs took the lead in the first half through Mateo Roskam but Sabah equalised through Hector Ramos early in the second period.
As expected head coach Jelius Ating sent an attacking side in 3-5-2 formation but the Rhinos never looked comfortable despite making the first try on the night.
Puerto Rico international Ramos was left unmarked on the right edge of the box but his shot from a Maxsius Musa pass went straight to Sarawak goalkeeper Mohamad Firdaus Muhammad.
The Rhinos however could not build on that as the Crocs' hardpressing game disrupted their flow of play.
And the aggressive approach coupled with a defensive error brought the first goal of the night in the 19th minute.
Central defender Mafry Balang hesitated in clearing the ball from outside his own box and lost possession when former Rhinos Bobby Gonzales closed him on the edge of the box.
The loose ball fell nicely to Nebojsa Marinkovic and his low shot forced Sabah custodian Robson Rendy Rining into making a diving save but only as far as Roskam who stabbed home from close range.
Sarawak continued to look dangerous whenever they ventured into the final third of the pitch but the Rhinos put in a superb defensive shift to keep the opponents at bay.
The first half ended with Sabah trailing 0-1.
If Sarawak were the better of the side in the first half, it was all Sabah's in a much improved second half performance.
The Rhinos went on the offensive from the start and were handsomely rewarded with the equaliser in the 54th minute.
Maxsius, whose trademark runs on the flank seemed restricted in his role as a right-wing back, sent a perfectly weighted cross that Ramos headed pass a stranded Mohamad Firdaus.
The goal was just what the Rhinos needed and they bombarded the visiting goal with attacks from all angles but missing was the crucial goal.
Mohamad Firdaus was also in his element with some brave saves to deny the Rhinos on various occasions.
Sabah went all out in the closing minutes and looked set for the three points when they were awarded a penalty kick after Mohd Sabree Mat Abu had handled the ball inside the box.
Gil Hoon stepped to take the spot kick but he was left in tears when his shot bounced off the crossbar that silenced the some 10,000 fans at the stadium.
Sabah remained unbeaten in four games as they collected their eighth point from two wins and two draws.
The Rhinos will next turn their attention to the FA Cup second round where they will take on Johor Darul Takzim at the Likas Stadium on March 3.