Kota Kinabalu: Phew! What a derby game between Sabah FC and Kuching City FC at the Likas Stadium on Saturday.
It was a dramatic evening as Sabah FC overcame a gutsy Kuching City FC 4-3 in a heart-stopping match.
Despite playing at home and with the strong backing of the fans, Sabah FC were actually made to struggle before the winner from Ramon Machado in the dying minutes.
It took a goalmouth melee for the latest signing from Brazil to slot in the ball and save Sabah FC the blushes.
SPONSORED CONTENT Over 20 units booked at The Horizon’s grand launch Kota Kinabalu: The grand launch of The Horizon at Damai saw a good response with more than 20 condominium units booked, Sunday. Read more I totally agree with what Datuk Ong Kim Swee had said after the match that it was a lucky win for the team.
It could have been a disaster and an embarrassing result for us if not for Ramon’s goal.
Credit should also be given to Saddil Ramdani for laying the ball on his path. It was the Indonesian’s third assist in addition to his opening goal.
I really thought it would be a stroll in the park for the team when they took a comfortable two-goal lead inside the half hour mark.
They were in complete control of the match with the opening goal from Saddil in the 12th minute followed by Ramon’s first in the 27th minute.
Kudos to Kuching City FC for having a never-say-die attitude and with their spirited display to fight on, Amir Amri Salleh managed to squeeze in their first goal as a result of Sabah’s napping defence in the 57th minute.
Although Stuart Wilkin was able to restore the two-goal lead within three minutes, they were unable to build on the momentum to add another that could have effectively sealed the game.
Instead of helping them to breathe easy with Stuart’s goal, the players seemed to have lost their focus and the shape of their play became loose allowing Kuching City FC to take full advantage to score the second in the 67th minute from the dangerous Abu Kamara.
That goal obviously gave them the much needed hope and with the Sabah FC defence all over the place, they sensed the opportunity to score another in which they did courtesy of a flying header from Kamara again with five minutes to go.
I must congratulate the players for not giving up and managing to secure the three points for the team in the end.
It was never easy for any team to bounce back after conceding a late equaliser especially with the slippery pitch.
Ramon was definitely the hero for the team and well deserved his man of the match award after scoring two goals in his debut appearance.
* Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss.
* Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
