Singing in the rain: Penang captain and centreback Rafael Vitor celebrates his goal against Selangor. — Penang FC
PETALING JAYA: The usually calm Wan Rohaimi Wan Ismail could not contain his joy after Penang earned a precious point in the Super League under the pouring rain on Saturday.
The Penang coach jumped and embraced everyone on the bench after his Brazilian centreback and team captain Rafael Vitor scored a last-minute penalty to hold giants Selangor 1-1 at the City Stadium in Georgetown.
Earlier, Chilean striker Ronnie Fernandez had opened the scoring for Selangor with a superb volley off a Quentin Cheng cutback in the ninth minute.
Heavy downpour affected the game, and both sides struggled to play their style of football on the waterlogged field.
However, Penang’s persistence paid off when they were awarded a penalty in the dying stages of the game after a video assistant referee (VAR) check showed Selangor captain Safuwan Baharuddin fouled a player in the box.
And Vitor went on to coolly slot it in.
Though just a point, Rohaimi said it was special because his side showed perseverance to delight the home fans.
“It is a meaningful point for Penang.
“The draw is a good sign of progress for the club.
“In our previous encounter against Selangor, we lost 0-1 in the Challenge Cup first leg semi-final game but the way we played today (Saturday) was superb.
“We did well despite the damp field. The torrential rain did not dampen the spirits of my boys.
“We however, should not take this progress comfortably. We have a few more games and this momentum must go on until the end.”
Meanwhile, Selangor coach Katsuhito Kinoshi was disappointed.
“We could not play our football in the heavy rain. But as professionals, we should have adapted to the condition better,” said the Japanese.
“We have to get our focus back in the next game and win it for the supporters. Imagine they supported us under the rain. We gave them stress but we must make it up with a victory in the next game.”
Selangor stayed at the second spot with 39 points from 18 matches, while Penang moved to the 10th spot with 16 points from 18 games.
Both sides will meet each other again in the Challenge Cup second leg semi-finals at the Petaling Jaya Stadium on Sunday.
