KOTA KINABALU: Half-hearted Rhinos went down 3-1 to Penang in the Malaysia Cup Group B opener at the Likas Stadium last night.Despite taking the lead with Bobby Gonzales slotting home the opener after 10 minutes of play, the Rhinos were forced to end the night empty handed as gritty Penang deservedly walked out of the field as victors.
It was the visitors who had the first shot at goal when Mohd Farizal Rozali found space inside the penalty box, but only to find his second minute attempt cleared by Sabah custodian Harold John for a fruitless corner.
Then Sabah launched a counter attack and Zuraindey Jumai coolly fed Bobby with a throughball and Bobby did not disappoint his team-mates as his grounder shot from inside the box defeated the Penang keeper Mohd Faizal Mohd Yusof.
Four minutes later, Andre Scotti Ossemer could have extended the lead but unfortunately his close range header off a corner taken my Hisamuddin Othman bounced off the ground and went wide.
In the 16th minute Penang skipper Mat Saiful Mohammad put his side on level terms with a powerful grounder from the edge of the penalty box that deflected off Hardy Charles Parsi’s leg before it went into the back of the net defeating the hapless Harold.
Mohd Farizal could have put his side into the lead in the 21st minute, but again Harold was in his element as he palmed away Mohd Farizal’s attempt for a corner.
In the 31st minute, Penang finally took the lead when Suhaimi Ishak unleashed a powerful shot from inside the box that defeated Harold for the second time on the night.
It was a scrappy second half, but it was all over for the home side when Mat Saiful scored his second goal and third for his team with a beautifully taken free-kick from about 25 metres in the 73rd minute.
