BY JEREMY VENO, easterntimes
KUCHING: Excuses are getting obsolete, echoed fans after the final whistle of a horrendous performance by the State team when they were thrashed 3-0 by ATM at the Sarawak Stadium, here, on Friday night.
KUCHING: Excuses are getting obsolete, echoed fans after the final whistle of a horrendous performance by the State team when they were thrashed 3-0 by ATM at the Sarawak Stadium, here, on Friday night.
Sounds of frustrations can be heard as spectators left the stadium, each vowing under their breathe not to return to watch the next match to avoid disappointment.
Recording their third loss after five matches, Sarawak now sit second bottom of the 13-team table with two points - a far cry from the maximum 15 points that the team can get.
It is high time for the Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) to take a step back and avoid making “creative” excuses on the team’s dismal performance as the unavoidable bitter pill needs to be swallowed.
The meagre points through the goalless opening match against PDRM and the 1-1 draw against Selangor PKNS are nothing to shout about as the team only scored two goals and conceded nine. They lost 1-4 to KL Felda United and 1-2 to Harimau Muda.
If coach Zaki Sheikh Ahmad continues to fail in finding that elusive winning solution at Stadium Larkin, it will not be long before the patience of home supporters fades and the trust bestowed on him by all Sarawakians is being numbered.
Clearly, without a winning strategy and coupled by a low set of spirits to play for the win, the team played terrible football - a third class performance.
In the past seasons, their performance can be excused as they claimed that their salaries were put on hold, which reflected their performances on the field.
With the formation of the Football Management Group, excuses of late salaries are a thing of the past as is the excuse of having a young team without the proper guidance of experienced players.
Zaki’s concoction was right, or so it seems. The former assistant national coach even matched the young team by roping in six local imports whom he believes can boost the squad - which proved otherwise after five matches.
The imports who played on Friday were Rafiz Abu Bakar (midfield), Wong Sai Kong (midfield), Efendi Malik (striker) and Suffian Abdul Rahman between the posts. Trailing 2-0 in the first half was enough to seal the fate of the State team as they were struggling to keep a foot of the ATM’s players.
Although Sarawak found several close attempts in the first half, it was poor finishings which denied them the goals.
Their best chance came as early as the 6th minute when Zamri Morshidi was left only with the keeper to beat after eluding ATM’s defence, but his shot went three metres wide.
Again Zamri’s luck went astray when a cross from the left saw him heading the ball which struck the bar in the 25th minute.
The opener came in the 38th minute when former national forward, V. Saravanan taped in the goal from a low cross as Sarawak’s defence suffered a lapse of concentration
It was a short moment of cheer for Sarawak in the 41st minute when Zamri managed to let go off a shot which found the back of the net but it turned out to be a disallowed goal when referee Ravi Aylan caught Zamri roughing up ATM’s goalkeeper, Nasril Nourdin.
Sarawak’s fate was sealed when Syafiq Samad made it 3-0 to ATM after the breather.
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