THE top four teams in Group B of the M3 League are threatening to pull away from the rest as Harini's Rahmanshah Marajeh scored the first hat-trick of the season on Saturday.
Harini routed bottom-side Kijang Rangers 5-2 at UPM Stadium in Serdang, with former Sabah forward Rahmanshah netting his treble in the space of 16 minutes after Rangers took a 20th-minute lead through Ahmad Hakim Baihaqi Mezelan.
Having had his full squad just a week before the season kicked off on Feb 12, coach G. Muthu praised the commitment of his players as they collected seven points from an unbeaten three-match start.
"The commitment of the players has been very good while the management has been very organised," said Muthu, a former striker, who won the FA Cup in 1999 with Kuala Lumpur.
"When I first arrived, I didn't know too much about the club, but the team have been performing well, especially after correcting the mistakes in the first match against Bukit Tambun, which we drew 1-1."
Muthu added a few experienced players to his team after convincing former national player K. Reuben to join from Sarawak United while goalkeeper Farizal Harun arrived from Kelantan.
Also in the squad is goalkeeper Oscar Wong, whose father Wong Fam Fook kept goal for Malaysia at the 1972 Munich Olympics and later played professionally in Hong Kong.
Muthu, however, played down his club's bright start, which sees them level on seven points with BRM Kuala Kangsar and Persada Integriti Bersatu (PIB).
"We haven't played the stronger teams yet, and there is a long way to go," said Muthu, whose side defeated Respect 3-1 in their second game.
PIB's bid to extend their 100 per cent record to three matches was foiled on Sunday by Juzaerul Jasmi's last-minute equaliser as KL Rovers rescued a 2-2 draw in Cheras.
After Asnan Awal Hisham put Rovers ahead in the seventh minute, Syukri Azman drew PIB level three minutes later and Faes Hafize Fadzil put them ahead in the 64th minute.
Juzaerul's late heroics ensured Rovers are only three points off the top with a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Manjung City handed Armed Forces a second straight defeat after Saifuddin Khairil Anuar scored the only goal of the game five minutes from the end in Manjung to give his team the maximum nine points from three matches, five points ahead of Ultimate and Tun Razak City in Group A.
After scoring a late winner against Forces last week, Tun Razak was on the receiving end this time as Syarikat Air Negeri Sembilan snatched a 2-1 win in Paroi courtesy of Iskandar Noorisam's 87th-minute strike.
Bad weather at the weekend wreaked havoc with the fixtures, forcing the postponement of two matches.
The Group A match between Immigration and Malaysia University in Nilai was halted in the 38th minute on Saturday before resuming the following day at the UKM Stadium in Bangi, ending 0-0.
In Group B, Tok Janggut Warriors and BRM arrived at the Sultan Muhd IV Stadium in Kota Bharu on Saturday only to be told half-an-hour before kick-off that they had to return the next morning due to heavy rain and a water-logged pitch.
BRM missed the chance to take the outright lead in the group after being forced to settle for a 0-0 draw on a soggy field.
RESULTS — Group A: Immigration 0 Malaysia University 0, Syarikat Air Negeri Sembilan 2 Tun Razak City 1, Manjung City 1 Armed Forces 0.
Group B: Harini 5 Kijang Rangers 2, Tok Janggut Warriors 0 BRM Kuala Kangsar 0, KL Rovers 2 PIB 2.