ssc_marcomms posted on January 29, 2012 23:38
LIONSXII’s captain, Shahril Ishak (#17, in white) on his
knees after the unfortunate loss to Terengganu FA. (Photo:SSC)
Terengganu put a stop to LionsXII’s
three-game unbeaten run with a 1-0 win at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday
in a Malaysian Super League (MSL) fixture.
There were two pre-match events before the
kick-off, a lion dance to commemorate the Chinese Lunar New Year and the other,
a minute of silence was observed to pay tribute to the passing of a former
international player, Razali Alias.
In celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year, a lion dance
performance was staged just before the kick-off. (Photo: Football Association
of Singapore)
Missing Scoring Chances
LionsXII were lively from the start,
pressuring Terengganu on many occassions. MSL debutant, Shaiful came close to taking
the lead for the home side in the fifth minute, but his volley from inside the
penalty box blazed over the crossbar.
In the 15th minute, the LionsXII
scoffed another great opportunity when vice-captain Harris Harun, failed to tap
home Shaiful’s free-kick from six yards out.
LIONSXII’s vice captain, Hariss Harun (second white jersey
from right) miscued his shot just in front goal to miss a glorious opportunity
to take the lead. (Photo:SSC)
The match was noticeably halted for more
than ten minutes after a power trip caused a floodlight to fail.When play resumed, the home side stringed about fifteen passes to unlock the
Terengganu’s defence. Despite that magnificent approach play, they missed the
chance to score as Firdaus Kasman’s shot sailed over the bar after a great
dummy by Shahril Ishak in the penalty box.
V.Sundramoorthy’s men were left to rue
glaring misses into half-time, despite dominating possession and keeping
Terengganu at bay in the first-half.
Terengganu’s Hunt For Goal
After a goalless first-half, the defending
Malaysian FA Cup Champion, Terengganu came back stronger and fired on all
cylinders, attempting to break the deadlock.
Francis Forkey Doe (in yellow) was terrific upfront and
caused a headache to the LIONSXII’s backline in the second half. (Photo:
Football Association of Singapore)
Terengganu’s deadly striker Francis Doe
Forkey ,who played for Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls and D.C. United,
was a constant threat to the LionsXII with his shots and hold-up play.
LionsXII paying the price
With both teams pushing for a lead,
V.Sundramoorthy decided to bring on Agu Casmir for Shaiful Esah to bolster the
offense after an hour of play. However, when Agu was given a golden opportunity
to score in an one-on-one situation in the 75thminute, he
cannonballed his effort way above the bar.
The
LionsXII failed to create any more chances and Terengganu
punished them for their sloppy performance. Makeshift defender, Hariss cleared
straight at Forkey Doe, who then capitalized on the defensive error by muscling
himself into position to fire a rocket past LionsXII’s custodian, Izwan Mahbud
in the 79th minute.
Terengganu’s star forward, Francis Forkey Doe celebrating with his
team-mates after silencing the Jalan Besar Stadium by netting the winner on the
79th minute. (Photo: Football Association of Singapore)
It proved to be the decisive blow and the
knockout punch that left LIONSXII on their knees after the final whistle.
What Happened & What Next
Speaking at the post-match press
conference, Terengganu coach Mat Zan Mat Aris said, “We created a few chances
in the first half and second half. Francis (Forkey Doe) is a good striker because
when he got his chance, he got a goal for us. The LionsXII are predictable with
their long balls to the strikers and experience is missing from the team.”
LionsXII coach V.Sundramoorthy said, “We
played below expectations and also gave the ball away easily rather than
Terengganu winning possession from us. We will now have to work harder and see
how we can reshuffle the team after reviewing the injuries, to prepare for the
next game.”
The LionsXII's next match will
be against old-rivals, Selangor FA at the Shah Alam Stadium on February 7.