JDT top group with thumping win over Kelantan

Felda United players celebrate the goal scored by Indra Putra Mahayuddin against Lions XII in the Malaysia Cup match at Selayang Stadium on Tuesday. Felda won 3-1. - AZHAR ARIF/ The Star

PETALING JAYA: Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) beat Kelantan 3-0 to end their Malaysia Cup Group C fixture on a high.

Goals by Jorge Diaz (28th minute), Jaszarin Jamaluddin (48th) and Luciano Figueroa (67th) gave the Southern Tigers a comfortable win at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium last night.

The Red Warriors’ misery was compounded by the expulsion of Nik Shahrul Azim Abdul Halim in the 88th minute.

The result, however, was inconsequential as both teams had already checked into the quarter-finals before the match.

Last night’s win sees JDT top the group with 16 points, followed by Kelantan (9 points), Armed Forces (5) and Penang (4).

At the City Stadium, Penang recorded their first win of the competition after edging Armed Forces 2-1.

Forces’ talismanic skipper Hairuddin Omar put his side in front in the 37th minute before Penang equalised through Ricardo Dos Santos in the 52nd minute. South Korean Lee Ki-Hoon sealed all three points for Penang nine minutes later.

Defending champions Pahang finished second in Group A after being held to a 1-1 draw by Johor Darul Ta’zim II (JDT II) in a hot-tempered match, which saw both teams reduced to 10 men at the Pasir Gudang Stadium.

Premier League outfit JDT II went ahead through a Nicolas Delmonte spotkick in the 14th minute.

The match turned ugly in the 67th minute, with Pahang’s Matias Conti and JDT II’s Juan Carrasco being red-carded.

Pahang centreback Zesh Rahman saved the blushes for the Elephants when he grabbed the equaliser in the 72nd minute.

Meanwhile, Felda United consolidated their top spot in Group A with a 3-1 win over Lions XII at the Selayang Stadium.

Zah Rahan Krangar (ninth minute), Indra Putra Mahayuddin (26th) and Ndumba Makeche (29th) scored for the Fighters while the Lions’ lone reply came from Faris Ramli (22nd).

The Singapore side were reduced to 10 men when Zulfahmi Ariffin was shown the red card deep into injury time.

Felda will go into the quarter-finals as Group A winners with 13 points, followed by Pahang (10pts). Lions finish third on goal difference ahead of JDT II after both teams collected five points from six matches.