IPOH, Oct 19 — Defending Malaysia Cup champion Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) secured one foot in the final after scoring a comfortable 4-1 win over Perak FC 4-1 in their first leg semifinal encounter at the Perak Stadium in Ipoh, here tonight.
The second leg semifinal will be played at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on November 2, but based on JDT’s current form, Perak FC will certainly be in for a torrid time.
Right from the start of the match, JDT took control of the proceedings and controlled the pace of the match while Perak, despite playing on home turf, were merely chasing shadows and it was not long before JDT took the lead as Oscar Pasero Arribas’ headed home in the 7th minute.
Coach Yusri Che Lah’s boys moved into action after falling behind and managed to create a good scoring opportunity but Seo Seonung’s attempt was denied by JDT goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi.
Perak FC’s desire and eagerness to find the equaliser left gaps in the defence and Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi sneaked away from an off side trap to shoot past Muhammad Farhan Abdul Majid in goal five minutes later (12th minute).
The start of the second was no different from the first half as JDT continued to dominate and by the 76th minute moved into a comfortable 3-0 lead when Shahrul Saad headed home from a corner.
With JDT lifting their foot off the pedal, Perak FC gave the 21,613 fans reason to cheer when Luciano Guaycochea struck a thunderous shot past Ahmad Syihan to reduce the deficit.
However, JDT had the last fling of the match when Muhammad Nazmi Faiz Mansor who replaced Arif Aiman struck JDT’s fourth goal of the night in the 81st minute. — Bernama
