Just A Report: UiTM Vs. Kelantan

Credit- Malaysia Football League

There were pre-match disgruntled comments about the home side raising their ticket prices for this match, but the result in the end may well be worth the money after UiTM FC & Kelantan played out an entertaining 3-3 draw.

Both sides displayed thrilling football and played in a fast tempo that got the fans rocking, though both teams will feel they deserve a lot more than just a point, especially for Kelantan who had to work hard to climb their way back into the match from a deficit. Although UiTM, especially hat-trick hero Zarko Korac, would argue otherwise.

UiTM fired the first shot of the match when Nur Areff Kamaruddin swiftly hits a loose ball first time that just had a little too much height within just two minutes. But it took another 10 minutes to finally see another chance that ultimately lead to the opener.

Nur Areff again at the centre of the move when he dispossessed a Kelantan player just outside his box. He then played a nice through pass for Axis-O2 PJ conqueror Zarko Korac, who did really well to position himself onside. With no one ahead of him to stop him, the Montenegro striker brilliantly finishes well from the left side with a low shot to give UiTM a great start.

It got even better for the striker later. Korac threw himself down on the ground to connect a diving header beautifully from a pinpoint corner by Adi Said on 25 minutes, stunning the visiting Red Warriors.

Despite being two goals down though, Kelantan never gave up and tried to storm back into the match by finding that comeback trail beneath the grass. They did well to dictate the tempo of the match and ultimately they got their reward ten minutes before half-time.

Zazai, onside, saw his shot saved by UiTM keeper Azfar Arif, but the loose ball lopped into the path of David Rowley by the far post. Instead of shooting with the keeper out of position, he beat one defender before opting to lay the ball off for the incoming Flavio Beck Junior to thump the ball in to pull one back for the visitors that proved to be the last highlight of an exhilarating first half.

However, the first 20 minutes of the second half failed to repeat the energetic display. Though ten minutes in, Nik Akif Syahiran’s free-kick was narrowly wide with Azfar well beaten and another ten minutes later saw Damien Lim superbly saving Korac’s downward header from a corner in a sea of bodies.

But little did everyone know, they were in for a fantastic grandstand finish in the final ten minutes. Kelantan’s first two substitutions with about 30 minutes to go had the desired effect, giving newfound energy to their attack and it got head coach, Mario Kraljevic, what he wanted when the two subs played huge roles

Fauzi Rozlan from the right saw space in the centre just outside the box. He played the pass and Nik Azli comes rushing in to smack the ball home with his weaker right foot to tie up 2-2 Kelantan could sense they could win the whole thing. And incredibly, they didn’t need to wait long for what they thought was the winner.

Only three minutes after Nik Azli’s equalizer, Flavio Beck delivered a cross from a short corner towards the near post and Fauzi Rozlan slid in to get that vital touch to complete the amazing comeback that sent the Kelantan camp wild and looked set to get the three points.

Or so they thought. It only took just one minute for their smiles to quickly turn into shocking disbelief. Afif Asyraf from the left delivered a cross just right and it looked like the defence lost focus because no one was marking Korac as he was entering the box, As a result, the Montenegro striker had an easy tap-in to equalize just in front of the goalmouth to complete his hat-trick.

Both sides frantically were finding the winner but sadly for them, had to make do with a point. They may have not got the win, but they definitely put out a great show and terrific fight until the end.

UiTM FC:

24 Azfar Arif Mohd Sukri

2 Amirul Ashraf Ariffin

4 Benard Agele

5 Syahmi Shukri

10 Nur Areff Kamaruddin

12 Afif Asyraf ©

17 Robert Mendy

20 Adi Said

25 Azriddin Rosli (21 Faizal Mohd Arif, ’76)

30 Zarko Korac

32 Rafie Mat Yaacob (6 Nazrin Syamsul, ’69)

Subs:

29 Nor Haziq Mohd Aris
9 Mohd Zulkiffli Zakaria

13 Wan Mohammad Fatah

23 Muhammad Nuzul Iman

26 Ridzuan Azly Hussham

Yellow Cards: Nur Areff Kamaruddin (’37), Adi Said (’41)

Kelantan:

33 Damien Lim

5 Mohamad Shahrul Nizam

6 Mohd Farisham Ismail

7 Flavio Beck Junior

8 David Rowley

10 Mustafa Zazai (28 Mohammad Amirul Shafik, ’88)

11 Nik Akif Syahiran (19 Fauzi Rozlan, ’68)

12 Mohamad Hakimi Abdullah (26 Nik Azli Nik Alias, ’60)

13 Azwan Aripin

15 Khairul Asyraf Ramli

20 Daniel Haqim

Subs:

30 Abdul Arif Abdullah

17 Khairul Rizam Che Soh

18 Syaiful Alias

23 Afiq Saluddin

Yellow Cards: Azwan Aripin (’10),  Fauzi Rozlan (’76)