KOTA KINABALU, June 19 — Sabah FC head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee wants his men to maintain the rhythm and strategy displayed in the first half against Sri Pahang FC last night to notch wins in their next Super League matches.
Kim Swee said all Sabah players performed well with an energetic style of play and were able to dominate the match in the first half last night, but lost their rhythm in the second half.
“We played so well in the first half but in the second half we lost pace and took it easy. This should be a lesson that when we are ahead (in the match) we cannot be complacent.
“The situation (loss of rhythm) almost punished us when Sri Pahang managed to get a goal and put pressure but we were lucky to keep our defence tight,” he told reporters after the Super League match which saw Sabah beat Sri Pahang 2-1 here.
In the match at the Likas Stadium, Sabah’s goals were scored by Neto Pessoa and Taiki Kagayama in the 10th and 18th minutes respectively, while the visitors’ goal was in the 60th minute by Manuel Hidalgo.
Following the victory, Sabah managed to snatch the top position in the Super League from Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) by collecting 18 points after eight matches, a two-point advantage over the eight-time champions of the league who have secured 16 points after six matches so far.
Meanwhile, Sri Pahang coach Christophe Gamel said that although his players managed to rise to dominate the match in the second half, they were unlucky not to score more goals and record a victory.
Sri Pahang reduced the goal deficit through Manuel Hidalgo’s penalty kick in the 60th minute after Sabah FC defender Rizal Ghazali brought down Sean Giannelli in the penalty box.
Sabah will face Selangor FC on June 28 next while Sri Pahang will meet Negri Sembilan FC on June 25. — Bernama
