Ong Kim Swee

KOTA KINABALU (6 APRIL): Sabah FC made a triumphant return to Super League action after beating Melaka United FC (MUFC) 1-0 at the Hang Jebat Stadium on Tuesday.

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Park Tae Su scored the only goal of the game after 25 minutes of play to secure a second successive league win for the Rhinos.

The South Korean footballer expertly found the bottom right corner with a low diagonal shot after having robbed the ball off a MUFC player earlier.

The victory ensured Sabah continue their winning momentum having won 3-1 against PJ City FC before the league took a one-month break early last month.

Head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee was full of praise of the players following the hard-earned win against a determined MUFC.

He said the players showed superb commitment throughout 90 minutes, which he said was crucial to registering the win in what was their first away league fixture of the new campaign.

“We were well aware that Melaka United FC are a very good team and they showed it in the first half by putting us under tremendous pressure.

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“It continued in the second half but at the same time, Sabah FC were guilty of missing several good scoring opportunities.

“However, we went on to win the game and that was the most important thing, especially against a team desperate to register a first win of the season on home ground,” he said after the game.

Kim Swee also highlighted the outstanding team performance led by captain Baddrol Bakhtiar which he said was crucial to the win.

“I’m happy with the standard of play showed by the players, who played to instructions well apart from showing good commitment.

“That said, the victory was not all about Park or Baddrol or any individual players … it required efforts from all the players. They did a great job even though playing during the fasting month.

“I’m happy with their fitness level and all 25 players are ready to play when required.

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“We have a few more days to prepare for our next game and certainly we will try to make more improvement and try to get another positive result,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sabah remain third in the 12-team league having collected six points from three matches.

The Rhinos will play in the second successive away game on April 10 against Sarawak United FC in the Borneo derby at the State Stadium in Kuching.