PETALING JAYA, Aug 17 – An understrength Penang FC was no match for Kedah FC as the Red Eagles stormed to a 4-1 win in Tuesday’s only Super League match played at the Darulaman Stadium in Alor Setar.
It was a welcome return to winning ways for Kedah which came in the wake of their 4-2 defeat to Selangor FC at the same venue last week.
The Panthers were severely handicapped without big names like Casagrande, Ryuji Utomo, and Endrick dos Santos – who were either serving a suspension or kayoed by illness. Kedah too had defender Renan Alves suspended for the match for a red-card offense in the match against Selangor.
Ivory Coast striker Kipre Techetche was the toast of Kedah with a brace. He got his first in the 17th minute off an assist by skipper Baddrol Bakthiar. He struck again in the 38th minute to take his personal tally to six goals.
Baddrol scored Kedah’s second on the night in the 23rd minute with a first-time drive past a rooted Penang custodian Samuel Somerville after being set up by Techetche with a well-timed cutback.
Penang pulled one back through David Rowley off a long ball from Quinten Cheng on the right that caught Kedah goalkeeper Ifwat Akmal caught on the wrong foot. This was in the 44th minute.
Kedah, however, was not finished yet. Another Ivory Coast hitman in the team Kpah Sherman got the fourth goal for the Red Eagles in 55 minutes, taking his tally to 11 goals in the league.
Seven-time Super League champions Johor Darul Takzim is at the top of the league standings with 45 points from 18 matches, followed by Terengganu FC on 37 points. Penang, despite the defeat to Kedah, is third on 31 points while Kedah moved into the fourth position on 29 points – ahead of Selangor and three games in hand.
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