LIONSXII celebrating as a team after extending their lead
to 2-0 against Kuala Lumpur, which caused fans to roar in jubilation. (Photo:SSC)
With only one point from their last two
fixtures, the LIONSXII finally secured their first win of the 2012 Malaysian
Super League season by beating Kuala Lumpur (KL) 2-1 at the Jalan Besar Stadium
last night, despite having Safuwan Baharudin red-carded.
Unable To Break The Deadlock
With the LIONSXII’s players labelling this
encounter as a must-win match, the Lions impressed more than 7,000 fans in the stadium
by dominating possession and pounding the visitors’ goal right from the start.
LIONSXII got their first chance when Isa
Halim slid a ball through to captain, Shahril Ishak who ran unmarked towards
the goal. However, the makeshift striker, Shahril fired his shot agonizingly
wide of the left post.
After that attempt on goal, it was all
about LIONSXII controlling the game and putting immense pressure on KL.
The LIONSXII would then rue several opportunities
in the next half hour, when their Shahdan Sulaiman directed set-pieces failed
to find the back of the net with the LIONSXII’s players missing free headers.
LIONSXII’s defender, Safuwan Baharudin, rueing another miss
after his unchallenged header flash past the goal. (Photo:SSC)
Finally, A Goal and Almost Two
However, it was only a matter of time before the LIONSXII’s waves of attack took its toll on KL. In the 40th minute, Shahril dispatched a ball through to the sprinting Irwan Shah, who was primed to score, but fumbled his attempt.
Irwan Shah (third from left) showing delight and relief as
Alman Syazwan (in blue) clears the ball into his own net to give LIONSXII a 1-0
lead. (Photo:SSC)
Fortunately for Irwan and the LIONSXII,
onrushing KL defender, Alman Syazwan helplessly put the ball through his own
net, giving the Lions a 1-0 advantage.
LIONSXII nearly doubled their lead before
the interval when unmarked Yasir Hanapi unleashed a cracker which curled round
the keeper, but it ricochet off the post and LIONSXII had to settle for a one
goal cushion before the break.
Predatory Instincts for More
After the break, the Lions immediately went
in pursuit of another goal, but could not seem to get their ‘head’ in the game
as they were unable to convert the golden ‘header’ chances to goals once again.
About ten minutes into the second half,
Irwan turned provider when he delivered a delightful ball into the opponents’
box. However, KL’s goalkeeper fumbled the ball straight into the path of
Shahdan Sulaiman, who pounced on the custodian’s error to volley home the
second goal for LIONSXII.
Shahdan Sulaiman (in white) celebrating after scoring his
first goal for LIONSXII after missing several chances yesterday night.
(Photo:SSC)
Unfortunate Error
With two goals and 35 minutes remaining,
the jubilant fans were expecting more goals from the hosts. However, on the 67th
minute, their hopes of a third goal were shattered, when Safuwan brought down
KL’s Fazuan Abdullah to concede a penalty.
Apart from the penalty, the Lions were
further wounded, when the defender was sent-off because of a second yellow card,
which results in a three-match ban.
Fazuan calmly converted the spot-kick
despite jeers from the Singapore fans to notch KL’s first goal of the season
and also restore confidence.
Holding On for a Victory
KL then pressed forward in search of an
equalizer but superb aerial challenges and tackles by both Baihakki Khaizan and
makeshift defender Harris Harun stopped KL from turning the tide against the 10-man
Lions till the final whistle.
In the end, LIONSXII were full of smiles
after the game as their close encounter win was a definite morale booster for
the team and the fans.
The young and old cheering
for the LIONSXII for securing their first win in the Malaysian Super League
2012. (Photo:SSC)
Nonetheless, they will have a few injury
woes towards the next game as left-back, Shakir Hamzah and striker, Khairul
Nizam were substituted out due to a hip and ankle twist respectively.
LIONSXII needs Composure
In the post- match press conference, KL’s coach
Razip Ismail said, “I am not totally impressed by LIONSXII performance as their
game is predictable. I believe that it is our own mistakes which cost us the
game.”
As for LIONSXII’s coach V.Sundramoorthy, he
admitted that his boys must start to grow up and be composed during tense
situations to finish the game off early.
LIONSXII’s coach V.Sundramoorthy admits that they were
lucky and must learn how to take their chances, or else they will be punished
in the league. (Photo:SSC)
The FAS striker-specialist coach also said,
“We might need to convert someone into a striker for the next game or stick
with Shahril upfront. Anyway, we will take it game by game and fix a battle
plan to claim maximum points.”
The LionsXII’s next match will be against
Sabah in Likas Stadium, Kota Kinabalu this Saturday, on 21 January 2012.