Kota Kinabalu: Sabah FC II ended the MFL Cup season on a winning note by beating Negeri Sembilan FC II 3-1 at Likas Stadium on Monday night.
However, it was the visitors who took the initial lead in the 45th minute through a penalty kick taken by Adam Haris.
The equaliser came three minutes after the restart through a strike from skipper Daniel Ting.
Despite the immense pressure from Negeri Sembilan FC, Sabah FC II were able to take the lead in the 80th minute through Azhad Harraz before Jafri Chew scored the third in the 90th minute.
Head coach Billyton Vun was full of praise for the players despite the tight schedule of having to play the final three matches within a week.
He also gave credit to senior players Park Taesu, Daniel Ting and Jafri Chew for their presence to strengthen the team.
“The victory is not just about following the instructions and rotation of the squad. “I was glad to see that the players were able to produce a positive result despite the tight schedule. “It was encouraging to see the improvement in their self-confidence as well as mental and physical toughness to survive the whole match.
“The presence of Park Taesu, Daniel Ting and Jafri Chew also helped the team tremendously. There was ‘instant chemistry’ between them and the junior players. “It came as a surprise as this strong bond is not easy to establish, especially when there was not much time for both parties to conduct training sessions together,” he said.
Meanwhile, he also expressed his gratitude to his predecessor and current Rhinos’ assistant head coach Alto Linus.
“He was the real hero in building the team. His role will surely be remembered and I would also like to thank him for the support by offering several senior players to play for us.”
Sabah FC II finished the season second from bottom with 16 points from four wins, four draws and 16 losses.
