KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) maintained their five-point lead at the top of the Super League after a hard fought 2-2 draw against Selangor at KLFA Stadium tonight.
The reigning league champions paraded their latest signings in Jorge Silva and Harry Novillo but defensive lapses meant that they have failed to beat Selangor away in the league for the third successive season.
JDT got off to a great start when they took the lead in the 3rd minute through Gonzalo Cabrera. The Argentine finishing off a wonderful move after S. Kunanlan delivered the perfect cutback from the right hand side.
Against the run of play, Selangor somehow found themselves back into the game just 11 minutes later. Saiful Ridzuwan let fly with a thunderous shot from outside the box that left Farizal Marlis grasping at thin air.
The match swung even further in favour of the Red Giants in the 16th minute as Rufino Segovia latched onto a through pass, beat Fadhli Shas before slamming the ball past a hapless Farizal for Selangor to lead 2-1.
JDT had their chances to pull level before half time and the best chance fell to the impressive Novillo in the 37th minute but the Frenchman saw his two shots well parried by Khairulazhan Khalid.
The Southern Tigers came out of the half time break bent on redeeming themselves and controlled the better part of the second half.
But they were thwarted repeatedly by the fine defensive efforts of Selangor’s centreback pairing of Alfonso Calero and Willian Pacheco.
Frustrated by the lack of openings, JDT coach Raul Longhi opted to send in Nazmi Faiz on the hour mark for the ineffective Safaw Rasid as they went in search of the equaliser.
The leveller finally came in the 68th minute when Cabrera found himself with time to pick out a cross from inside of Selangor’s box and Novillo was on hand to nod home to make the score 2-2.
JDT continued to hold most of the possession after the equaliser and despite their best efforts, were unable to find the third goal that would seal a win for them.
