PETALING JAYA: Winger Akhyar Rashid saved Negri Sembilan from the jaws of defeat as the Deer fought back from two goals down in a thrilling 2-2 draw with Star City at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi yesterday.
The 27-year-old winger salvaged a point for the hosts with an equaliser in the dying seconds just when it looked like Star City were headed for an away win.
Negri fell behind in the 39th minute when Brazilian winger Pedro Henrique latched onto a beautifully weighted through ball from compatriot Pedro Santos before rounding goalkeeper Azri Ghani to slot home.
Star City doubled their lead just a minute into the second half when Bahraini midfielder Moses Atede collected a pass from Henrique in midfield, drove forward into Negri’s box and unleashed a low, driven shot from just outside the area.
Negri were handed a lifeline in the 74th minute when Star City’s Brazilian centreback Rafael Vitor brought down striker Abdul Rahman Daud inside the box.
Akhyar up and converted the resulting penalty past goalkeeper Farhan Majid.
Negri then pushed for an equaliser but lacked composure in the final third, while Star City looked dangerous on the counter-attack in search of a third goal.
Fortunately for Negri, Akhyar once again stepped up, curling home a venomous strike from inside the box deep into injury time to complete his brace and ensure the spoils were shared.
The result leaves Negri sixth in the standings with four points, while Star City sit 10th with a single point.
Negri coach Daniel Gimenez admitted that the draw was an emotional affair for him.
“I was talking to the staff and I don’t know how to feel - if I should be happy or angry, or take it as a win or a loss. It was a mix of feelings during the 90 minutes. We got the point but it is not what we expected, but it is better than zero,” said the Spaniard.
