KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah returned to winning ways in the Super League following a 3-1 win over Perak at Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu today.
It was their sixth win from seven matches at home. Sabah were on a three-match winning streak before they were held 2-2 by Terengganu in their last home match.
The home crowd did not have to wait long to celebrate the opener, with Darren Lok breaking the deadlock after just four minutes before Park Tae Su doubled the Rhinos' advantage in the 32nd minute.
Four minutes before the end of the first half, Baddrol Bakhtiar headed home from Jailton Paraiba's cross to give Sabah a commanding lead heading into the half-time break.
While Sabah took their foot off the pedal in the second period, the visitors looked far more threatening but, despite an improved performance, could only pull one goal back through Harith Naem in the 83rd minute.
At the Tunku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi, Negri Sembilan were given a scare by bottom-placed Kelantan United before a last-minute equaliser from Filemon Anyie in added time meant that points were shared in the 3-3 draw.
Oj Poteria (14th minute) and Syazwan Zainon (32nd) gave the visitors the early lead, but the home side fought back through Shahrel Fikri (36th) and Hafiz Ramdan (71st) to draw level midway through the second half.
Indra Putra Mahayuddin converted an 80th-minute penalty for his 104th goal in the Super League, but it wasn't enough to secure his team's first win of the season as Filemon saved Negri right at the end.
At the Sultan Muhd IV Stadium in Kota Baru, Frank Bernhardt's time with Kelantan continued to be in dire straits as the German oversaw the team's fifth straight league defeat, this time losing 4-1 to Police.
Marcus Macauley (15th) and Nabil Lapti (33rd) gave the travelling side a healthy first-half lead before further goals from Uche Agba (65th) and Bruno Suzuki (90th) condemned Kelantan to the last spot in the standings despite a consolation goal from Miguel Cifuentes in added time.
keywords: football, Super League, Sabah, Rhinos, Indra Putra