FAM League: Penang rampage to biggest home win

Dunia Sukan Online

PENANG recovered from their midweek first defeat of the season to thrash Kedah Malays 5-0 in their FAM Cup league match at the City Stadium today.

The league leaders showed no mercy as they registered their biggest home win, and also their 12th victory out of 13 matches.

Fit-again striker Norizam Salaman set the ball rolling by scoring the opening goal for Penang in the 11th minute as he made no mistake from close range after receiving Mohd Baser Napae’s neat pull-back from the byline.

Mohammed Syafuan made it 2-0 in the 24th minute with a curling effort from the top of the box.

The match was effectively over as a contest in the 35th minute when Norizam met Khairan Eroza’s freekick with a firm header to notch Penang’s third goal.

The enterprising Khairan was also involved in the Panthers’ fourth and fifth goals in the second half.

The Penang playmaker fed Baser with a defence splitting pass to prod past the Kedah Malays goalkeeper Mohamed Arif in the 53rd minute before Khairan’s lob to the far post in the 73rd minute allowed Syafuan to flick the ball with the outside of his right foot to score Penang’s fifth goal.

“I expected Penang to win big today as our opponents are struggling in the league. The win places us back on track in our quest to win the league title and promotion to the Premier League,” said Penang coach Merzagua Abderrazzak.

With just seven matches to go, Penang remain seven points ahead of second-placed PBAPP FC, who defeated Sabah’s Chebagoo FC 4-0 in Kota Kinabalu today.

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