All square as Rhinos hold mighty Pahang
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah made heads turned on their return to Malaysia Cup action by holding reigning FA Cup champions Pahang to a 1-1 draw at the Darul Makmur Stadium on Saturday.
The end result, in fact, could have favoured Sabah but a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping by the opposing team denied the Rhinos a victory in their first M-Cup match in six years.
Sabah fell behind to a an Austin Amutu’s strike in the first minute of injury time in the opening half, but were soon on level term shortly after the second half resumed.
The Rhinos launched a quick counter-attack and Faisal Rosli, one of two Pahang players trying to stop Puerto Rico forward Hector Ramos, was unfortunate to divert the ball into his own net.
Head coach, Jelius Ating, was full of praise for the spirited displays from his players, most of whom were making their M-Cup debut. He said the determination and confidence showed by the players made it possible for Sabah to make a good start to their M-Cup campaign.
“I could not ask for more from the players. They carried out everything they were told and expected of them in the match. The determination, confidence, work rate and commitment were all there. We could have won with chances that we created but a draw was not bad either, especially when we face a Super League team who is also the reigning FA Cup champions.
“The players were fearless against a team with such reputation and they deserved credit for that. All in all, I am happy...it was a good start to our campaign,” said Jelius when contacted yesterday.
Commenting further on the game, Jelius said, the match was balanced but Sabah created better scoring chances.
Ramos, Rhinos top scorer, however missed several chances, including twice in a one-on-one situation in the first half while his late strike hit the post.
“Our strategy was to stay compact when defending and then counter attack with pace when we gained possession. It worked well for us on the night, but it was not easy against Pahang. Overall, we played well and I’m pleased with that. It was a good achievement despite returning home with only a point,” said Jelius.
Meanwhile, PKNP FC are the surprise Group D leaders after opening with a stunning 3-0 away win over the highly favoured Selangor.
“PKNP’s win showed that they are no pushovers and, in fact, this showed that the MCup is totally a different ball game than league competition... no team can lay claim to being favourite in the M-Cup.
“I’ve told our players, who are mostly M-Cup debutants, to take the opportunity to shine because anything can happen in a cup competition. Up next for us will be PKNP and we need to be fully ready to take them on and, hopefully, clinch all three points,” said Jelius.
Sabah, currently level on onepoint with Pahang in Group D, will take on PKNP at the Likas Stadium on August 11.