Selangor ease past Sabah

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RAIN OR SHINE: Selangor eased past Sabah 3-0 in their FA Cup clash but not after braving the rain and hot weather alternating throughout the 90 minutes.

SABAH’S Jekyll and Hyde performance cropped up again as a youthful Selangor won 3-0 in the FA Cup second round tie at the Likas Stadium today. The hosts matched Selangor for most of first half, but soon after Francis Forkey Doe opened the scoring late in the first half, it was all downhill for the Sabahawks. Doe was in his element as a cheeky backheel found the back of the net after the Sabah defence were caught napping defending a cross in first half injury time.

 It proved to be the downfall of Sabah as Doe then turned provider as he found Muhd Raimi Nor with a neat pass for the latter to tuck home from close range in the 51st minute. From there on, it seemed like a training session for Selangor, who comfortably knocked the ball around the pitch to frustrate the hosts. It was 3-0 up on 87th minute when Doe, who failed to score in his last four outings, bagged his second with a simple tap in from Raimi.

 Selangor coach Irfan Bakti was happy for his striker to end his drought but more importantly hailed his players for adapting well to the unpredictable weather on the evening. “I wanted them to focus as I don’t want them to be distracted by the weather. “I’m glad they played well in the second half. The opening 45 minutes was evenly contested. Sabah had chances but failed to convert any.

 “We will meet either Johor Darul Takzim or Kedah in the quarterfinal,” said Irfan. It is back to the drawing board for Sabah coach David McCreery after a game two halves. “We were in the match for the first 40 minutes but faded away after the first goal. We were not good enough in the second half. “It’s difficult to lift the players again but it is my job. We will prepare for our next game against UiTM FC on Friday in the Premier League,” he said.