Happy faces, high fives, cheers and smiles were back at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium on Saturday, after the City Boys produced a dominant and professional performance to land our first win of the league with a 2-0 victory over Melaka United, courtesy of a brace by skipper Paulo Josue, whose strikes on the night took him to fifth spot in the City Boys’ all-time scoring charts to 41 goals, surpassing the legendary Saidin Osman.
An unfavourable opening fixture list, probably the worst that any team had this season, saw us being paired from the start with 3 of the Top 5 teams last season, and coming out of that sequence of matches with Selangor, Kedah DA and Johor DT with only a point to show, raised the alarm bells and concerns of the Sampai Mati Kuala Lumpur faithful. Even more worrisome was our defence, the wall that we could always count upon, had conceded 12 goals in 4 matches this year against top level opposition. Understandably, there was some tension in the air, three points was what the city slickers craved for, and knowing full well of the recent record against the Hang Tuah, even here, it was no easy feat. The City Boys last tasted home success over the southerners in 2014, winning 3-1 in University Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) Mini Stadium in Serdang, when both were plying the depths of the FAM League (then third division), but in Cheras, that goes back a further five years to 2009, a 1-0 win in the Premier League.
Kenny’s absence due to suspension for the sending off received in the previous match vs Johor DT, forced head coach Bojan, spotting his lucky regalia the famous orange bip for the first time this year, to change his line-up once again for the sixth time this season. Mendoza retained his place in goal, while in central defence, the Croatian departed from the back three used in the last game, to go with a four man backline consisting of Gallifuoco and Irfan at the heart of it, with Declan positioned at leftback, and Kamal Azizi once again on the right. A three man midfield was deployed, Ryan in the middle with Partiban and Akram flanking him on either side, while up front, a surprise inclusion of Romel in place of the recovering Zhafri, taking up the forward position on the left, with Hadin on the opposite flank. Paulo Josue completed the line-up of what seemed like a 4-3-3 formation.
It was a dream start for the City Boys, barely 2 minutes into the match when our Brazilian ‘capitao’ reacted first to rifle past goalkeeper Norazlan Razali into the top right corner, punishing some nightmarish defending by Fakrullah Rosli who give the ball away in the box while under pressure from Hadin, after Romel played in a cross from the right. Immediately that opener calmed our nerves and allayed the concerns, worry and tension of the Red & White.
Romel was once again in the thick of the action in the 6th minute. A wonderfully worked passage of play began with Declan inside our half, relaying the ball to Paulo Josue, whose intended one-two return pass was instead picked up by Partiban. Spotting Declan’s overlapping run, Partiban took only one touch bringing the ball under control, before pushing it beyond Declan to the byline. The speedy 23 year old, squeezed a cut-back in between two Malaccan defenders rushing to crowd him out, to the completely unmarked Romel just outside the six yard box. The Colombian teed himself up to let fly a stinging shot but Norazlan was equal to the task.
We were up for it, dominating the proceedings, and having plenty of the ball. The City Boys did not have to wait too long for the second goal to arrive, and yet again it came from our left side. From inside the Hang Tuah’s half, Akram switched play from right to the centre, finding Declan. He played a forward pass to his twin brother Ryan, who in turn spread it wide to meet Partiban cutting into the box from the left. The latter drilled a low cross into the danger zone that our captain smashed with such ferocity into the back of the net.
Halftime we led 2-0.
Just before the start of the second half, Bojan made his first substitution, replacing Hadin who played really well, with Zhafri, making a return to the side since the 8-0 FA Cup win over Langkawi City in mid-March, and the No. 8 made his presence felt almost immediately. Reacting to a good call by the referee for advantage play on a foul against Paulo Josue inside our half in the 50th minute, Zhafri released Romel to go on a run into the opponent’s box. Our Malaysia Cup hitman turned and twisted the retreating Mohd Akmal Md. Zahir and Khairul Anwar Shahrudin, before his shot was saved by the outstretched leg of Norazlan.
Perhaps feeling the effects of a day’s less rest than the opposition from midweek endeavours, we began to take our foot off the pedal, and this allowed the Hang Tuah, who were missing their feared strikeforce of Ifedayo Olusegun, the top scorer of the league the past two years, Brazilian Adriano Aparecido Narcizo and Ghanaian striker Emmanuel Oti, due to injuries, to have more of the ball than they did in the first period.
Their first look at our goal came in the 56th minute, when Mendoza misread a cross from the right by Akmal to the deep at the far post, committing himself too early in leaving his line, but fortunately the unmarked Khairul’s header was way wide. Earlier, in the same play, Wan Zaharulnizam went on a diagonal run from along the top of the box, but Declan blocked his shot, with the rebound going to Akmal.
In the 77th minute, Romel went close once again to opening his accounts this season. Far down the right and with a packed box, he carves space for himself into the box, before skipping past the Filipino Justin Baas and hits with venom from an almost impossible angle, catching Norazlan by surprise, pushing it out for a corner.
Four minutes from the end of regulation time, with the southerners ever pressing to look for the goal that would galvanise their fightback, Syahrul Azwari almost reduced the deficit. Sony Norde, the Haitian playmaker who was behind most of their offensive play in the second half, threaded a low pass into the box from the right in between Irfan and Declan, but it was horribly fumbled by Akram. The loose ball was then played out of the box by Mohamad Hasbullah Abu Bakar into the path of Syahrul, whose first timer ricocheted off Gallifuoco to viciously dip into goal, but Mendoza saw it all the way, plucking it out of the air.
The final whistle a few minutes later was greeted by cheers of approval and celebrations from the Sampai Mati Kuala Lumpur fans. It was our first league win of the season. A commanding performance despite our fatigue from the bruising battle with Johor DT earlier in the week. Romel is back and is hitting the target. Zhafri is back too, and influential like always. Kenny shall return from suspension in the next game, so will Koubemba from injury. Most importantly a clean sheet. Something we have not managed against top level opposition since the season began, we did it today, albeit the Malaccans were missing their top gunners. It is a week before the next game, and it will be a tough one as Sabah are flying at the moment, but for now, let us look forward to the possibilities when all are available and fit! Exciting is it not? Onwards and upwards we shall!
Kuala Lumpur City vs Johor DT : 1 Mendoza (GK), 4 Kamal Azizi, 9 Gallifuoco, 12 Declan (79’ 29 Shaqirin), 17 Irfan, 6 Ryan, 16 Partiban (81’ 30 Fakrul), 14 Akram, 7 Romel (81’ 10 Safee), 27 Hadin (46’ 8 Zhafri), 28 Paulo Josue (C) (90’ 33 Muhammad)
Subs Not Used: 44 Azri G. (GK), 11 Koubemba, 25 Anwar, 66 Nabil
Referees : Khirulazuan Kidam; Assistants : Nojey AK Naking, Mohd Zairul Md. Noor; Fourth Official : Muhamad Ridzuan Husni
Attendance: 464
OUR HERO OF THE MATCH: AKRAM MAHINAN
He told The Voice of City Boys:
“It’s a pleasure to be Hero of The Match, but that is just a bonus. What’s more important is that we got the 3 points and we are back to winning ways.”
Akram was ever-present in the midfield department. The tenacity and intensity were different class.
To watch the highlights of this match, please click youtu.be/UF8qunAWe7U
To watch the complete match, please click youtu.be/Jz2uuSKXO8k
Next up for the City Boys, is the visit of Sabah on Match Day 5 of the Super League, Saturday, 16/4/2022 at 10pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras.
Information on tickets, will be informed soon.
For Season Ticket Holders (B2 City Boys), enjoy 20% off regular ticket prices for your friends and/or family (Limited to a maximum of 4 tickets per transaction. Contact Shamim for details)
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Prepared by The Voice of The City Boys
Statistics credit to Devinder Singh