Elephants in control
Favourites Pahang in comfortable position for second leg
PETALING JAYA: Pahang are in the driver’s seat for a place in the FA Cup semi-finals.
The defending champions were too good for Premier League side Penang, winning 2-0 in the first leg of the quarter-finals at the Darul Makmur Stadium last night.
Mohd Hafiz Kamal gave the east coast side the lead by rifling a leftfooted shot past Penang goalkeeper Mohd Remezey Che Ros in the ninth minute.
Four minutes later, Pahang were two-up when Nigerian Dickson Nwakaeme punished the ball-watching Penang defenders by tucking home a rebound from close range.
Penang had the chance to reduce the deficit, but failed to make the goalscoring chances count.
South Korean Lee Gil-hoon had at least two sitters, but the midfielder failed to hit the target in the 60th and 67th minutes.
At the Selayang Stadium, former champions Kelantan were held to a 1-1 draw by Sime Darby FC.
The Red Warriors, champions in 2012 and 2013, went ahead through Colombian Erwin Carillo’s goal in the 44th minute. He took advantage of a poor clearance by Sime Darby midfielder Abdul Halim Zainal to break the deadlock.
But it was a short-lived joy as a minute later Nemanja Vidakovic headed home a cross from Fahrul Razi for Sime Darby’s equaliser.
Sime Darby, who are winless in six matches in the Super League, had a chance to go in front but midfielder Marko Perovic’s superb free-kick hit the post in the 67th minute.
At the Sultan Ismail Stadium in Kuala Terengganu, Brazilian striker Paulo Rangel scored a last-gasp equaliser to enable Terengganu to snatch a 1-1 draw against Perak.
Perak grabbed the lead through an own goal by defender Zubir Azmi in the 44th minute.
Fortunately for the Turtles, Rangel came to their rescue with the equaliser late in the match from the penalty spot in the 94th minute.
The other quarter-final first-leg match between Lions XII and JDT II will be played at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore today.