Sabah blank Kedah 1-0

The hero...Juffry Omopor.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah nicked a narrow 1-0 win over relegation-threatened rivals Kedah to give them a brief respite in their fight for Super League survival.

The victory also saw them end their five-match losing run.

Sabah, who failed to find the net in their last three outings, saw nippy striker Juffry Omopor score the solitary goal seven minutes after the break, slotting home a cross from second-half substitute Shahrudin Yakup.

It could have been more goals from the home side, as Omopor’s goal seemed to spur them into action, but they were denied by poor finishing.

The first half was a drab affair as both teams failed to bring any flair into the game with both teams creating one chance each at each other’s goalmouths.

It was Sabah who had the first half chance, when Zainizam Marjan sent a superb cross that found Hendrik Helmke at the heart of the Kedah goalmouth, but only to see Hendrik’s soft attempt cleared by the Kedah keeper, Abd Hadi Abd Hamid.

At the other end, Baddrol Bakhtiar saw his attempt go wide.

The second half also started on a slow note until Juffry broke the deadlock.

After netting the first, he could have scored his second, but unfortunately, this time, he saw his header off a cross from K. Thanaraj sail above the crossbar.

Not long after, Kedah could have found the equaliser, but fortunately for Sabah the hardworking youngster Zul Mansshah Aling blocked an attempt from a Kedah player.

Late on, Zainizam Marjan saw his attempt hit the goalpost.

With the win, Sabah moved out from the relegation zone, as they leapfrogged Kedah from the 12th spot.

They stay ahead of Kedah on 22 points while Kedah are in 13th placing on 21 points.

Sabah take on Kuala Lumpur at home on June 30 in their next game at the Likas Stadium.

News source:

News Sabah Times

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