KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — Sabah fought back twice to edge Melaka 3-2 to revive their chances of staying in the Super League at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu today.
This is the Rhinos’ second win and it is enough for coach Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto men to move up two rungs to ninth spot in the 12-team standings with nine points while Melaka remain in seventh spot with 11 points from nine matches.
Melaka stunned their hosts when Nigerian import Uche Agba opened the scoring in the 15th minute. Although Sabah equalised nine minutes later through Dennis Buschening, Melaka again went ahead when their other import from Haiti, Sony Norde, scored in added time in the first half.
Undaunted, Sabah fought back, with Buschening sparking a fightback with a goal in the 64th minute before Serbian Rodoljub Paunovic slotted home a spot-kick in the 72nd minute.
In the Premier League, Terengganu FC II travelled to Kota Baru and got the better of their east coast neighbours Kelantan United FC with a similar 3-2 win at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium.
Terengganu FC’s fifth win of the season was enough for them to move up one spot to third in the Premier League standings with 16 points. Kelantan United FC, however, remain in ninth spot with nine points.
The homesters went 1-0 up through Mohd Khairul Izuan Rosli in the 17th minute but Terengganu FC’s Engku Muhammad Nur Shakir Engku Yacob levelled the scores six minutes later.
Ghanaian Jordan Mintah then struck a brace in the 24th and 45th minutes to put the visitors 3-1 ahead before Melaka’s Alfusainey Gassama scored from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute to reduce the deficit.
But it was simply too little too late for the home team as Terengganu FC held on for victory. — Bernama
