KUALA LUMPUR: New Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) striker Heberty Fernandes enjoyed a dream Super League debut when he scored the opening goal in his team’s 2-0 win over Selangor FC at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor Bahru tonight.
JDT, who have won the Super League title nine times in a row, then killed the game off with a Bergson Da Silva goal from the penalty spot in injury time.
With this win, JDT, who are still unbeaten after 18 matches, need just three more wins from the remaining eight matches to clinch the title for an unprecedented 10th consecutive time.
Selangor took to the field today without the services of Mohamad Faisal Halim, who is serving a one-month suspension, and almost became the first team to steal a point from the Southern Tigers when they kept JDT at bay for a long time.
However, JDT’s breakthrough came in the 79th minute when 34-year-old Brazilian Heberty, who previously played for Bangkok United FC, enjoyed a stroke of good luck when Muhammad Safuwan Baharudin’s attempted clearance, off a cross from Oscar Arribas, struck his leg and rolled into goal.
JDT then doubled their lead when Da Silva, who was fouled by Harith Haiqal Adam Afkar in the box, picked himself up to cooly slot home from the spot in injury time (90+3).
Selangor last defeated JDT way back in August 2017, winning 2-1, but the Red Giants have since lost 12 times and drawn three against the Southern Tigers in all Malaysia League (M-League) competitions (including the FA Cup and Malaysia Cup).
With today’s win, coach Esteban Solari’s JDT top the 14-team Super League standings with 54 points from 18 matches to go 14 points clear of second-placed Selangor (40 points from 19 matches).
Meanwhile, KDA edged Kuching City FC 1-0 at the State Stadium in Sarawak courtesy of Ifedayo Omosuyi’s 39th-minute goal off a corner taken by Manuel Hidalgo in the 39th minute.
In an earlier match, Colombian Romel Morales bagged a hat-trick to spark a Kuala Lumpur (KL) FC fightback from a goal down to trounce basement side Kelantan FC 5-1 at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras.
Visitors Kelantan FC opened the scoring in the third minute through a free kick taken by Argentine Leonardo Rolon before Zhafri Yahya netted the equaliser for KL City in the 26th minute.
Morales notched his hat-trick with goals in the 47th, 65th and in injury time (90+1) as striker J. Partiban also got his name on the scoresheet in the 84th minute for the City Boys, who are playing for the first time without Bojan Hodak after the coach moved to Indonesian League 1 side Persib Bandung. – Bernama
