KUALA LUMPUR: Perak head coach Yusri Che Lah admitted that the goalless draw against Negri Sembilan in their Super League clash at Stadium Manjung on Saturday had stalled his efforts to improve the team’s position.
He also felt his players wasted numerous chances and failed to capitalise on their many advantage after Harith Samsuri was sent off as early as the 30th minute.
As a result, Yusri believes Perak’s current seventh-place standing is still not secure, as they could be overtaken by teams below them with two matches remaining.
“Not everyone may be happy with this result,” said Yusri.
“Given that we had 11 players against our opponents for nearly 60 minutes, the most costly mistake in football is failing to score despite having six clear chances.
“My players were a bit too eager to find the net, and at the same time, they felt the pressure to score.
“This result has disrupted my plans because ideally, playing at home, I wanted to secure full points. Now, with just one point, we have to work even harder for the remaining matches,” said Yusri.
Among the teams capable of overtaking them are Police and Penang, as both have three matches remaining, while Perak only have two.
Yusri also said that the long gap before their next match could affect his players.
Perak will have to wait nearly 30 days before facing Kuala Lumpur, followed by Pahang on April 19.
“We also have to consider the long break and the fact that our squad are far from complete. A fully prepared team can dictate the game on their own terms.
“For us, with an incomplete squad, the lack of matches is a challenge. For instance, after today’s match (Saturday), our next fixture is on April 6, meaning a 30-day gap, which will undoubtedly affect the players,” he added.
Meanwhile, Negri Sembilan head coach K. Nanthakumar praised his players for putting on a solid performance to deny the hosts victory and secure a valuable point.
“Even though we played with 10 men, credit must go to the players, especially our goalkeeper, Aqil Abdul Razak, who was outstanding.
“He was the best player tonight. Without him, it would have been difficult to avoid defeat.We were aiming for three points, but getting one is still better than losing,” said Nathakumar.
