Poor finishing haunts Sabah again

Poor finishing haunts Sabah again

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah were let down by poor finishing as they settled for a one-all draw against Melaka in the 31st Tun Sharifah Rodziah Cup national women football championship at the Mokhtar Dahari Football Academy in Gambang, Pahang yesterday.

Head coach David Aiyyman admitted that missed chances denied them of what could have been a victory for his side.

“We dictated play and were pretty much in control of the game. Unfortunately, we failed to maintain our consistency in front of the opponent’s goalmouth.

“We created more than enough chances to score, but our finishing were rather poor,” said disappointed David said when contacted.

The former state defender then conceded defeat in his bid to conclude their preliminary round challenge on top of the eight-team standings.

“Although on paper, we still can finish on top, which now is unlikely to happen. I think we will most likely to end up in third or second at best,” he added.

With the draw, David said he won’t dwell on where they would end up in their group challenge, insisting that setting their sight on the semi-finals is of top concern.

“I think (now) it is better for us to focus on the semi-finals. We must work hard to improve ourselves, and be fully prepared,” he said while predicting that they are likely to meet Melaka again in the last four encounter.

Yesterday, Melaka took a 1-0 first-half lead before Shereilynn Elly Pius scored the leveller five minutes after the break.

The one point gained saw Sabah remain in third in the standings in 13 points while Melaka, who have 14 points in their bags, were being pipped by Kedah from the top spot.

Kedah whitewashed Negeri Sembilan 9-0 and stay top of the table in 16 points.

Meanwhile, Selangor and Penang also played to a one-all draw while Armed forces edged PBMM 1-0.

For the record, the top four teams will advance into the semi-finals upon the completion of the preliminary round stage today.

In the semis, the top team will take on the fourth-placed team while second and third-placed teams will face off against each other.

The semi-finals have been scheduled for December 8 at the same venue while the final will be held the following day.

- The New Sabah Times