Pahang coach rues gamble that backfired

PAHANG coach Dollah Salleh was left frustrated with the outcome of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final return leg match in Ipoh.

With a 3-1 lead from the first leg, Dollah thought his well-rested regulars would easily get a positive result and qualify for the final.

But his gamble to rest his regulars in the 5-2 thrashing by Selangor in Tuesday’s Super League encounter failed to produce the desired result as they lost 3-0 to the former champions on Saturday.

“We not only made mistakes in the first half but also missed a couple of chances.

“I reminded them not to focus on defending but they did just the opposite,” said the former international.

“Perak were aggressive and took their opportunities well. Our defending wasn’t good today,” said Dollah on Saturday.

Dollah said Perak’s opening goal by Brendan Gan disorientated his team.

“My players were under pressure after conceding the first goal, and things became worse when Perak scored their third.

“We tried to bounce back after the breather but it didn’t work,” he quipped.

Dollah was also unhappy with Perak midfielder Leandro dos Santos’ unprofessional conduct during the match.

“Santos played a role in ruining our game as he provoked my players several times in the match.

“He also did the same in the first leg in Kuantan,” he added.

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