SUPER LEAGUE: SELANGOR MOVE UP TO SECOND PLACE, KELANTAN EARN FIRST VICTORY

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 (Bernama) -- Selangor FC closed the gap with Super League leaders Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) by defeating Perak FC 2-1, despite playing with 10 men at Stadium Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) tonight.

Import striker Ronnie Fernandez was the hero for the Red Giants, scoring twice in the first half, while young Ghanaian midfielder Alex Agyarkwa was shown a red card in the 64th minute for a foul.

Fernandez broke the deadlock in the 24th minute after capitalising on a poor clearance by Perak’s goalkeeper Mohamad Ramdhan Ab Hamid and added his second goal from the penalty spot in the 40th minute, giving Selangor a comfortable 2-0 lead.

After Agyarkwa’s sending off, Selangor, who tried to defend with 10 players, were breached when Perak’s substitute midfielder Muhammad Nur Azfar Fikri Azhar headed in a cross from the left in the 79th minute.

The win sees Nidzam Jamil’s squad accumulating nine points from four games, just three behind JDT.

Meanwhile, in KOTA BHARU, Kelantan Darul Naim (KDN) FC secured their first three points of the season by defeating PDRM FC 1-0 at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium.

Captain Oday Kharoub’s 29th-minute goal from the penalty spot separated the two teams until the final whistle.

However, the victory did not change the position of the Golden Deers, who remain second from bottom, while PDRM dropped one place to sixth, with a total of four points.

-- BERNAMA