KUALA LUMPUR – Kuala Lumpur City FC (KL City) have a pep in their step after winning back-to-back matches in the Super League following a sluggish start to the season.
The City Boys secured vital three points after winning 1-0 against Perak FC at the Kuala Lumpur Stadium in Cheras last night.
KL City’s winner came in right before the first-half whistle when Paulo Josue’s free-kick rebounded off the keeper, giving Sebastian Osbol Avanzini the chance to score his first goal for the team.
A red card in the 64th minute for Saravanan Thirumurugan after the midfielder collected a second yellow did not step Bojan Hodak’s men from winning their second match of the season with 10 men.
This came following their recent 2-0 victory over Sabah FC. The long-awaited first win came after the City Boys had lost two of their first five matches and drew three.
Despite the win, Bojan was unsatisfied with his player’s performance as they did not make much of an impact in the game.
“I am not too pleased with the performance tonight, but then again we have six points in five days, so who cares?
“I knew that it was going to be a tough match because Perak is a young team that can run around, which left us with only a few chances,” he said after the match.
The Croatian said the red card hampered the team’s rhythm, forcing them to prioritise their defence.
“We started to dominate in the second half, but after the red card, we had to fall back and wait for counterattack opportunities.
“Maybe we will wake up tomorrow and not even remember the game much, but we will focus on the next fixture,” he said.
Meanwhile, having only won one match in the season so far, Perak head coach Datuk Lim Teong Kim said the young team still needs time to reach their full potential.
“The philosophy is to give the young players a chance to play, and they have played well and not let me down. I have to give them the chance to play with an open mind and make mistakes, otherwise, they will not develop.
“I ask for the Perak fans to be patient, these things need time. But the most important thing is the team plays their best game so the supporters can be proud of the players despite bad luck,” he said.
Lim added that even though they have been on a losing streak, the players have been showing strong mental resilience.
“Although we have been losing, the players have a winning mentality. After losing four games, they rebound and put on a good performance, that is the process of having a winning mentality,” he said.
Perak have only won one match in the season so far, leaving them in 11th place with five points, while KL City move up to the eight spot with nine points. – The Vibes, April 11, 2023
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