KOTA KINABALU: Tankur FC lived up to their favourites tag with a comfortable 4-2 win over KDM Labuan in the final of the Sabah Unity League Open final at Penampang Stadium on Sunday. The star-studded Tankur team with several ex-State senior and youth players in the line-up were met with resistance early in the game from their opponents who were unbeaten before the final. It took them 29 minutes before finding the net through ex-State striker Jufrey Omopor who escaped his marker to blast home the opener.
They also had to thank ex-State skipper Mohd Reithudin Emran who marshalled the well organised defence to trounce several dangerous attempts at goal from the islanders to keep the score 1-0 in the first half. KDM Labuan continued to press for the equaliser at the restart and it wasn’t until Jufrey Omopor scored his second in the 67th minute did it finally take the steam out of the players, as they conceded another three minutes later scored by another former State striker Razlan Otto.
Being three goals up, Tankur players let their guards down a bit allowing the much fitter KDM Labuan players to pull one back in the 75th minute through former State President Cupper Sean Gerald Mojikon. However, any hopes of a comeback was dashed after Tankur FC’s Mohd Shukri Ruslis restored the three-goal advantage five minutes later before Mohd Ziyad Syamilin of KDM Labuan scored in the dying minutes to make the final score 4-2.
Tankur FC team manager Sernam Singh was full of praise of his players after the match. “It was a superb performance and good display of class football from the players today. “Credit must also be given to the KDM Labuan team players as well. They were a very good side and they managed to push us all the way. “They also had several scoring opportunities but thank God, luck was on our side, “ he said.
The prizes were presented by Penampang District Officer Robert Stidi. The organiser also thanked to all supporters, and participating teams for their support as well as Penampang Member of Parliament cum Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Darell Leiking and Terrence Siambun, Chairman of Cement Industry Sabah for the sponsorship. – GL Oh
