JOHOR Darul Ta’zim crashed out in the FA Cup quarter-finals today after suffering their first home defeat in two and a half years.
The Super League champions went down 3-0 on aggregate to Pahang at Larkin.
The last time JDT lost at home was 2-1 to Felda United in the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals in November, 2015.
Pahang, who drew 0-0 with JDT in the first leg in Kuantan, smashed three goals past the Southern Tigers, thanks to a hat-trick from Patrick Cruz.
Pahang drew first blood in the ninth minute off a counter attack. Pahang’s Nor Azam Azih picked out Cruz with a pass and the latter prodded the ball past an advancing JDT keeper Farizal Mar
JDT didn’t find the heavy pitch conducive to their play. Nazmi Faiz was taken off at half time and replaced by S. Kunanlan as coach Raul Longhi went for a more attacking formation.
Yet it was the visitors who once again found the back of the net through Cruz. But it was R. Kogileswaran who would take most of the plaudits for winning the ball off Fadhli Shas before delivering a perfect cross for Cruz to score his second goal in the 59th minute.
Longhi threw on Safiq Rahim for the error-prone Fadhli but it was too late for JDT to turn the game around. Cruz completed his hattrick in the 77th minute for the Elephants to dump JDT out of the FA Cup in the quarterfinals for the second year running.
Pahang will face PKNP in the FA Cup semi-finals after the latter ousted Felda. PKNP produced a combative performance in Jengka, fighting back from a 0-1 deficit in the first leg to advance on away goals after beating Felda 2-1 in the second leg.