PETALING JAYA: If there is one word to describe Melaka’s recent performances, it is resilience.
The Mousedeer held a fast and attacking Negri Sembilan side to a 0-0 draw in their Super League clash at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi on Sunday.
Negri had the golden opportunity to snatch victory in the 68th minute, but Ghanaian striker Joseph Esso blasted his penalty over the bar.
The hosts dominated large spells of the game, with winger A. Selvan proving a constant threat down the flanks.
However, Melaka’s defence, marshalled by experienced centreback Irfan Zakaria, stood firm to deny them.
Melaka coach E. Elavarasan commended the hard work in the second half.
“We knew we had to work harder and avoid being complacent at the back. We made several adjustments, particularly to deal with Selvan’s pace on the right.”
Looking ahead, Elavarasan expects another stern test against Kuching City on Saturday at Hang Jebat Stadium.
“It will be tough. Kuching are one of the best teams right now, very balanced across all positions. We will fight for points, one point is good, three is even better. That is always our target.”
Meanwhile, Negri interim coach K. Rajan expressed disappointment at not securing all three points but defended striker Esso’s penalty miss.
“He is our designated taker and has trained for it but even top players miss.
“We still have a chance to improve our position, but we must collect six points from the remaining games,” he added.
Negri remained at seventh spot in the league with 25 points from 22 matches, while Melaka are 11th with 18 points, just two points behind 10th-placed Sabah.
