TREBLE winners Selangor came from behind to lift the Charity Shield when they edged Negri Sembilan 2-1 in the opening game of the Malaysian Super League (MSL) at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi last night.
Supersub R Surendran was the hero when he was introduced into the game in the 70th minute. He set up the first goal for his strike partner Mohd Safee Sali in the 77th minute and went on to nail the winner five minutes later.
Surendran, who came in for Mohd Hardi Jaafar, wreck havoc as the tired Negri defence marshalled by Mohd Shukor Adan and Mohd Aidil Zafuan Abdul Razak lost their composure.
First Surendran beat defender Idris Karim on the left and sent in a defence splitting pass for Mohd Safee to score the equaliser in the 77th minute.
He then fired in the winner in the 83rd minute, latching on to a Mohd Safee pass to enable Selangor to win the Charity Shield for the eighth time since its inception in 1985.
It was a brilliant tactical substition by Selangor coach K Devan as the Red Giants only came alive after Surendran came on.
Negri, fresh from their glorious outing of winning the Malaysia Cup after 61 long years, showed they were still hungry for success.
They could have put their 35,000 fans into a frenzy as early in the seventh minute when Aidil Zafuan’s attempt was denied by the woodwork.
Selangor forwards led by Mohd Safee and new signings Liew Kit Kong and Mohd Farderin Kadir were a letdown.
Even their inspirational skipper and midfielder Mohd Amri Yahyah, who was a doubtful starter because of injury, could not get the Selangor engine room going.
Negri goalkeeper Mohd Farizal Harun was hardly tested and only had to make one save from Farderin in the 20th minute.
Negri dominated most of the procedings in the first half and were duly rewarded with the opening goal when they punished the ball-watching Selangor defenders as Idris squeezed in a header from an acute angle in the 27th minute.
Negri had a golden opportunity to increase the score immediately after the breather but nippy midfielder S. Kunalan failed to convert a sitter after Mohd Aidil Zafuan had put him through after a fine solo run in the 46th minute.
Selangor should have found the equaliser when Amri’s header came off the goal frame in the 49th minute.
Then, Selangor brought on Surendran and Mohd Amirulhadi Zainal with 20 minutes left on the clock.
The changes turned the tide in their favour as Selangor returned with the trophy and three points because the match also counted as a Super League match.
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