KUALA LUMPUR: Melaka FC marched into the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals after a dominant 3-0 win over Sabah in the return leg today at Likas Stadium, completing a 5-2 aggregate win.
The second leg began with both sides level at 2-2 from the first encounter, but the contest swung sharply in Melaka’s favour late in the first half after Sabah were reduced to 10 men in the 43rd minute when Gary Steven Robbat was shown a red card for a dangerous challenge on Sharel Fikri Fauzi.
Melaka pounced within minutes of the restart. In the 49th minute, Ahmed Ayman Shamsaldin Abdalazem broke through the defence and beat veteran goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat with a composed finish
Sabah struggled to respond with a man down, and Melaka maintained control throughout the second half. Their dominance produced a second goal in the 85th minute when Che Rashid Che Halim punished a lapse at the back to extend the lead.
Just two minutes later, Ahmed struck again, his brace sealing a comprehensive win on the night and confirming Melaka’s progress.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
