KUALA LUMPUR: Premier League champions Negri Sembilan returned to the Super League with a bang by beating Sabah 1-0 at the Likas Stadium yesterday.
However, the Rhinos were left kicking themselves for wasting a penalty kick in first half added time while the Deer got the winner through Khair Jones in the 52nd minute.
Negri goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed was deemed to have brought down Sabah's Brazilian striker Neto Pessoa by referee Zulkarnain Zakaria. Syihan, however, redeemed himself by saving Pessoa's spotkick.
Defender Jones then made the difference for Negri as he blasted home a shot from inside the box to earn the visitors full points.
At the State Stadium in Kuching, Sarawak United started their Super League campaign on a sour note with a 1-0 loss to Kedah.
Cameroonian forward Ronald Ngah delivered the winner in the 17th minute for the Canaries to return home with three points.
At the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Super League champions Johor Darul Ta'zim got the job done by overcoming Penang 1-0 with Brazilian hitman Bergson Da Silva striking the winner in the 70th minute.
The Klang Valley derby proved to be an explosive affair as 10-man Kuala Lumpur held Selangor to a 3-3 draw at the KLFA Stadium.
A heavy downpour saw the kick-off delayed to 9.40pm but the cold and wet weather did little to dampen the fiery match.
The Red Giants drew first blood with Hyuri Costa opening account in the 18th minute but Zhafri Yahya equalised two minutes later for the Malaysia Cup champions.
Seven minutes later, Herlison Caion de Sousa Ferreira restored Selangor's lead through a spotkick in the 27th minute after D. Kenny Palraj brought down Caion. But KL equalised again when Hadin Azman found the net in the 32nd minute to end the first half 2-2.
In the second half, it was the home team's turn to go ahead with Ryan Lambert scoring in the 60th minute.
However, the City Boys' hopes of coming out on top in the Klang Valley derby suffered a blow after their Australian centreback Giancarlo Gallifuoco was sent off in the 73rd minute following his second booking.
Sensing blood, the Red Giants pressed KL for the equaliser and they got the breakthrough when KL's Mohd Irfan Zakaria handled the ball in the box. Caion made no mistake from the spot in the 78th minute.