SELANGOR made light of the absences of two key players and coach K. Devan to beat KL Plus 2-0 in Shah Alam and maintain their perfect Super League home record in Shah Alam yesterday.
With Devan watching from the stands and Safee Sali and Hardi Jaafar suspended, Selangor started with Bunyamin Umar in the middle and pushed Liew Kit Kong forward to partner Amri Yahyah in attack.
Assistant coach P. Maniam took charge of the leaders but Selangor took awhile to get going with Bunyamin with the only real scoring chance in the first 20 minutes.
Amri could have put the home side ahead just before the break when he tried to chip KL Plus goalkeeper but Razi Effendi Suhit did well to grab the ball in the air.
Razi then tipped over a stinging drive by Kit Kong at the start of the second half before a timely tackle by Es Lizuan Zahid Amir in the box prevented Amri from pulling the trigger in the 53rd minute.
Two minutes later, Selangor were ahead when Kit Kong and Safiq Rahim combined to release Amirulhadi Zainal on the right to score in the gap between the goalkeeper and the near post.
The closest the visitors came to an equaliser was an effort from distance by Zaidi Ahmad which was tipped around the post by Hamsani Ahmad in the 61st minute.
Kit Kong settled the contest by directing Amirulhadi’s cross into goal in the 80th minute for his third goal in four games but substitute Nazrin Nawi 25-metre thunderbolt four minutes later set up a nervy finale for Selangor.
Kelantan became the second team after Selangor to qualify for Malaysia Cup after two first half goals by Norshahrul Idlan Talaha and S. Chanturu helped them see off Perlis 2-1 in Kota Baru.
Norshahrul scored a penalty in the 30th minute and Chanturu added the second five minutes later before Wan Khairul Faiz Kamaruddin reduced the deficit for Perlis in the 50th minute.
Kuala Lumpur stunned Negri Sembilan 2-1 in Paroi as Farouk Hashim’s 58th-minute winner gave the city side their first away win over the Malaysia Cup and FA Cup champions in 10 years.
Azidan Sarudin headed KL ahead in the 16th minute before Shukor Adan drew Negri level five minutes before half-time.
Kuala Terengganu T-Team were held 1-1 by visitors Pahang at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium despite Haris Safwan Kamal giving the home side the lead in the 36th minute after collecting a pass from Kamal Rodiarjat and beating two defenders and the goalkeeper.
Shahrizan Salleh earned Pahang only their second point on their travels with the equaliser in the 62nd minute from the penalty spot after Shahrul Ezrain Samsudin brought down Fazli Baharuddin.
Two goals by Nazri Kamal in the second minute and a 70th-minute penalty gave Perak a 2-0 win over 10-man Johor at the Perak Stadium in Ipoh while Terengganu romped past bottom side Penang 5-1 in Batu Kawan.
Tags: KL Plus, Liga Malaysia, Malaysian Super League, Selangor