PETALING JAYA: Dylan Wenzel-Halls stole the show at the Hang Jebat Stadium as the Australian striker struck twice to fire Penang to a 2-0 victory over Melaka in their FA Cup round-of-16 first-leg clash on Sunday (Aug 17).
The 27-year-old thought he had broken the deadlock in the first half with a superb curling effort from Bosnian winger Danilo Sipovac’s pass.
But after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, the goal was chalked off as Sipovac was judged to have fouled Melaka midfielder Nizaruddin Jazi in the build-up.
Wenzel-Halls’ frustration boiled over, and he was shown a yellow card by referee Nawal Mohd Zubir for his protests.
But there was no denying him after the break. Just three minutes into the second half, he calmly slotted home from Ivorian striker Tchetche Kipre’s pass to give Penang the lead.
His celebration was filled with emotion as he made the VAR gesture before embracing fans in the stands.
He doubled his tally in the 69th minute, latching onto a clever through ball from Wan Zack Haikal Wan Noor and firing a low shot that slipped past Melaka goalkeeper Jun Badelic.
Penang will now take a healthy advantage into the second leg, with Wenzel-Halls’ brace proving the difference on the night.
Earlier, Sabah hammered Bunga Raya 6-0 while Immigration stunned Terengganu 2-1 in other round-of-16 fixtures.
