GEORGE TOWN, Aug 19 — The Penang FC team need to be more disciplined especially the defending department, said head coach Datuk Zainal Abidin Hassan.
“I know they want to win but we need to have a high level of discipline when playing against an up-and-coming team that is strong when it comes to attacking.
“They remained enthusiastic and fought until the last minute even though they still made mistakes giving easy goals for the opposing team. This means that discipline needs to be improved, especially at the defensive side,” he told reporters after the Super League match against Sri Pahang last night where Penang lost 2-3 at the City Stadium here.
Meanwhile, he said he made a drastic change in terms of player formation where Mohd Faiz Subri was placed at the main line and paired with Lucas Espindola Da Silva.
“Lately, the two have been working perfectly together compared to having Hilal Al Helwe to pair with Lucas,” he said.
“However, Faiz had given his all in the first 30-40 minutes before Hilal took over and we could see Hilal came back with greater vengeance, than before,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sri Pahang’s head coach Datuk Dollah Salleh said the high discipline maintained by his team’s defensive line allowed them to take control of the game and subsequently beat Penang.
“After the first 20 minutes it was a struggle but our team managed to get into the rhythm of the game and scored a goal and this inspired the other players,” he said.
For the next match, Penang will travel to Alor Setar to face Kedah Darul Aman FC on Sept 2 while Pahang will host Terengganu FC this Sunday. — Bernama
