Perak‘s 7-game unbeaten run came to a crashing end following a 3-2 reverse at Perak Stadium at the hands of Melaka. The defeat sees Perak dropping two places from sixth to eighth in the Malaysia Super League standings that will see them head into an international break in the bottom half of the division.
Littered with defensive mistakes throughout the game, it was Khairul Amri’s inability to hold onto Safiq Rahim’s shot in the 75th minute that proved to be the vital mistake. Melaka’s Patrick Reichelt was quick to pounce on the rebound to notch his eighth league goal of the season to seal a memorable win for his team.
Head coach Mehmet Durakovic was left feeling disappointed not to see his team take any points from the match as they have created plenty of goal scoring oppotunities despite the blunders in the defensive side of their game. The Australian will be heading into the break looking to not only piece together broken confidence but also to recharge his tiring side.
“We created so many chances but couldn’t take them. We make a few mistakes and they punished us for it. We win as a team and we lose as a team. I don’t blame nobody even though there were individual mistakes. It’s just one of those days where had we scored, we would have won the game.
“Of course I’m disappointed because we’re playing at home and you always want to win at home. At the moment, the table is very close. One or two points, you go down. One or two points, you go up. We played so many games in Ramadan, it’s not easy for my players,” said Durakovic in the post-match press conference.
The arrival of Raianderson de Costa Morais and Ronaldo Henrique Silva has seen a upturn in fortunes for the team, who has been struggling to win matches all season. Five goals have been scored between the two of them in the last three matches that Perak has played prior to this defeat.
However the problem on the night could also be pointed at the midfield where Brendan Gan was without his usual partner in Leandro dos Santos. Firdaus Saiyadi is a capable replacement but does not quite offer the same solidity in the centre that the experienced Leandro does.
After the two weeks break, Perak will face PJ City FC and Terengganu FC before a crucial semi-final encounter against Pahang in the FA Cup.
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