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| FUMING … Cebagoo club president Mohd Joh Wid (right) vents his anger at the men in black. |
This they blamed it on the match official whom they claimed played the injury time longer than that of the four minutes shown by the fourth official. Things could have gone out of control right after the final whistle as the hosts, led by the club president Mohd Joh Wid together with some supporters, showed their dissatisfaction towards the men in black.
Fortunately, the security men at the stadium were able to handle the situation led by the Police force, albeit small in number. But this action could see them facing the wrath from the FA of Malaysia, should a report is lodged against the hosts. The hosts were heading for what could have been an easy win after easily cruising to a 3-0 lead, until things went out of control in the last 20 minutes or so where they were forced to play with two men lesser after two of its players got the marching orders.
Striker Mohd Nor Azuan Shah, who obviously failed to control his emotion, was the first to go for stamping on a YBU defender, for a direct red. Then Rainol Masaat followed suit for needlessly kicking the ball way for a second yellow card offence, which is a red. This all happened inside the last 20 minutes. Earlier, Cebagoo had started the tie brightly with Rainol giving them the lead only after six minutes of play before Nor Azuan made it 2-0 after 20 minutes.
They never looked back and dominated the basement side for the entire opening half. Midfielder Mohd Arifyanshah Japar then extended Cebagoo’s lead three minutes after the second half resumed, but Mohd Syafwan Mahayudin reduced the deficit for the visitors with an angle shot in the 57th minutes. The sending off completely disrupted Cebagoo rhythm and they were made to pay for it when defender Muhammad Shahril Fakaruddin’s free-kick went straight into the back of their net defeating the half fit goalkeeper Shairul Boidi for the second time.
YBU completed their stunning comeback when Syafwan found space at the far post to volley home in what seemed to be the last kick of the game. That sparked the ugly scenes after the final whistle as Joh followed by several in the crowd tried to confront referee Tiong Eng Lai. Joh was heard venting his dissatisfaction of Tiong’s handling of the match which he claimed was biased and that the four minutes extra time had long ended when YBU got the equaliser.
Quick intervention from match officials and the police prevented the situation from turning into chaos as Joh, after escorting the visiting team safely into the dressing room, returned and tried to get an answer from the referee for the questionable decisions he allegedly made in the game. Cebagoo is expected to lodge an official protest, and with video evidence, to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) regarding the incident.
