Moraes brace ensures Red Giants march on

KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor preserved their spotless Super League record on Saturday, braving rain-soaked conditions at the MBPJ Stadium to dispatch struggling Penang 3-1, while Melaka FC pulled off an impressive comeback to stun KL City.

Playing on a heavy, waterlogged pitch after a persistent downpour that began barely a quarter of an hour into the contest, the Red Giants showed efficiency to make it five wins from five matches.

Brazilian talisman Chrigor Moraes handed the hosts an early breakthrough in the 11th minute before doubling the cushion seven minutes after the restart.

Penang, who arrived with just one win to their name this season, threatened a fightback when Stefano Brundo halved the deficit in the 69th minute.

However, Selangor responded as defender Zikri Khalili put the result beyond doubt with a stoppage-time strike four minutes into added time, maintaining their pursuit of the league summit and leaving Penang in turmoil.

At the Hang Jebat Stadium, Melaka FC mounted a spirited fightback to register a 3-2 win over KL City.

The City Boys drew first blood early through Fareed Sadat in the 12th minute, catching the hosts off guard with a swift opener.

Melaka, who entered the clash with only three points from four outings, refused to lie down and found a deserved equaliser four minutes before the break through Christian de Souza.

The hosts maintained their momentum into the second half, with experienced marksman Kpah Sherman completing the turnaround by netting in the 53rd minute.

KL City fought back to level the score at 2-2 in the 77th minute when Syafiq Ahmad headed home from Paulo Josue's corner kick.

However, Melaka had the final say as V. Ruventhiran scored in the 86th minute to secure all three points and condemn KL City to their second consecutive league defeat.

Meanwhile, at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi, honours were shared as Negri Sembilan fought back to hold Sabah to a 1-1 draw.

The Rhinos, determined to snap a two-match losing slump, took the lead at half-time when Gonzalo Di Renzo found the net two minutes into stoppage time.

Negri clawed their way back into the tie midway through the second half, with Jovan Motika stepping up to calmly convert a 68th-minute penalty.

While the solitary point halted Sabah's skid, Negri's long wait for an outright win on the pitch drags on, having failed to pick up maximum points since their opening-day walkover against KL City back in August.