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No import, no win, no cup BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sports - New 2 Borneo

No import, no win, no cup

Posted: 31 Aug 2014 09:23 AM PDT

by Matthew Umpang reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on September 1, 2014, Monday

KUCHING: Sarawak's 2014 season may best be remembered for the absence of her import players.

And Saturday night was the ultimate.

The team had played without injured Muamer Salibasic for almost the whole season. Then it was Hassan El Mohamed who, despite only joining in mid season, has not seen action for months.

The two remaining imports, who have soldiered on in the current Malaysia Cup, were also out of action for Saturday's match.

Ryan Griffiths was injured and Gabor Gyepes suspended. So it was an all-local side that was fielded.

The result was costly.

A 1-1 draw with Perak at the Stadium Negeri was the last nail in the coffin for Sarawak. With only four points after five matches in Group B, they now bid farewell to the Malaysia Cup.

Although there is still one more match to play (against Terengganu away), it is impossible for the Crocs to finish second place in the group to qualify. Current group leaders Perak and Terengganu have already collected eight points each.

Sarawak head coach Robert Alberts could only put up a brave front when he spoke after the match.

"We gave everything we had tonight but at the end of the day, the result did not favour us. I won't be disappointed with this outcome in the tournament as we did all we can to win it."

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Police car set on fire as fans from Sarawak, Perak clash in Kuching

Posted: 31 Aug 2014 09:22 AM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: The State Stadium in Kuching, Sarawak turned into an inferno when a police car was set on fire by unruly fans who saw their team (Sarawak) exit from the

Malaysia Cup competition after a 1-1 draw against Perak, Saturday night.

Unhappy fans and supporters from Sarawak clashed with fans from Perak, forcing the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) to fire teargas to stop clashes from fans of both teams.

Sarawak who finished at the bottom of Group B with four points were shown the exit door together with T-Team who ended at the bottom of Group D with three points after losing 1-2 to Sime Darby.

It is believed that fans from Perak had started teasing the Sarawak fans after the final whistle since their team had been booted out of the Malaysia Cup competition and that prompted the Sarawak fans to react.

Clashes which started inside the stadium with flares and firecrackers thrown onto the field, it quickly spread to outside the stadium while the fencing was also torn down.

Despite the draw, Perak moved to the top of Group B with eight points, the same as Terengganu but with better goal difference while Kedah remain within striking distance of the front two with seven points.

Terengganu and Kedah played out a 2-2 draw at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium in Kuala Terengganu.

Terengganu scored through Ashaari Samsuddin (36th min) and Ismail Faruqi Asha'ri (79th min) while Kedah had to

thank Baddrol Bakhtiar (45th min) and Namkung Woong (68th min).

Meanwhile, at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi, Police who have already qualified for the Malaysia Cup quarterfinals, were held to a 1-1 draw by Selangor.

The Cops, still unbeaten

after five matches, head Group D with 13 points followed by Selangor with seven points

while Sime Darby who beat T-Team 2-1, have six points. — Bernama

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Foreign players the real strength in Malaysia Cup

Posted: 31 Aug 2014 09:21 AM PDT

KUCHING: Any team hoping to become the Malaysia Cup  champion needs the services of the maximum number of foreign players possible as well as a little luck, said Sarawak's head coach Robert Alberts.

The Dutchman was commenting on his team which was unfortunate this season for failing to utilise fully its four foreign imports due to injuries hitting Bosnia-Herzegovinian striker Muamer Salibasic and Lebanese's Hassan El Mohamed.

Sarawak was the semifinalist last season but finished at the bottom  of Group B this season after their 1-1 draw with Perak last night.

"We lost Muamer from the start of the season. He is the catalyst of the team in the engine room to provide balls to the strikers," he said.

Alberts said he did not replace Muamer when the transfer window opened because his doctor had assured that Muamer would be able to play again.

"Only if we had a player of Muamer's calibre together with Gabor (Gypes) and Ryan (Griffiths) then we could have done better in the Malaysia Cup competition this season," he said.

According to Alberts there was a missing link in the Sarawak team because none of the local players could play like Muamer in sending the ball to the strikers to score.

Commenting on the 1-1 draw with Perak, Alberts said it was an undeserved draw.

"I think we should have won the match because we dominated the match and we had several very good scoring opportunities but our players just couldn't capitalise on them," said Alberts.

He was referring to two misses by Akhmal Rizan and one by Lot Ali Hassan in front of Perak's yawning goalmouth.

Asked if Perak's goal scored in the 79th minutes was an off-side goal, Alberts had this to say: "According to the video yes but at the different angle maybe it is not an off-side, and that also if the lineman was at the right position."

Alberts however said the equaliser somehow frustrated the players after their protest was ignored by the referee. — Bernama

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Chelsea beat Everton in goalfest, City crash

Posted: 31 Aug 2014 09:21 AM PDT

LONDON: Chelsea overpowered Everton 6-3 in a remarkable game on Saturday to preserve their 100 percent record in the Premier League, after Manchester City were stunned by Stoke City.

Jose Mourinho's Chelsea led 2-0, 3-1, and 4-2, but Everton kept coming back at them and it was not until Diego Costa made it 6-3 with his second goal in the last minute that the home side finally admitted defeat at an enraptured Goodison Park.

Chelsea were 2-0 up inside three minutes, with Diego Costa tucking away a pass from Cesc Fabregas after only 36 seconds before Ramires teed up Branislav Ivanovic to drill a low shot past Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard.

But Kevin Mirallas reduced the arrears with a fine header on the stroke of half-time and when Everton right-back Seamus Coleman slid an Eden Hazard cross into his own goal in the 67th minute, it heralded a flurry of five goals in 10 minutes.

Two minutes later Steven Naismith hit back for the hosts to make it 3-2 and although Nemanja Matic then restored the visitors' two-goal cushion, Samuel Eto'o marked his first Everton appearance since leaving Chelsea by heading home.

But Ramires gathered a pass from Matic and toed the ball past Howard to make it 5-3 and after Mirallas had hit the post, Costa exploited an error from Everton substitute Muhamed Besic to complete the scoring with a classy finish.

The result left Chelsea as one of only two teams to have won their first three games, along with Swansea City, although Tottenham Hotspur can emulate them with victory over Liverpool on Sunday.

"If the salt and pepper of football is goals, to have nine goals in a Premier League match is fantastic ingredients," Mourinho told Sky Sports. — AFP

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Supian Nor tops FAC time trial

Posted: 31 Aug 2014 09:20 AM PDT

KUCHING: He may be the old man of Sarawak cycling but Supian Nor showed that he is still a force to be reckoned with.

Supian, in his 40s, topped 19 others on the time sheet when he clocked 20mins 55secs on the 13km course at Sunday's FAC time trial. Supian, who is coach of Team Corbusier's junior development squad, was eight seconds faster than his young charge Garry Tay.

Team Sonamu's in-form Mohd. Azhar Bujang was third fastest at 21mins 29secs on the demanding course. Azhar has shown good form in the second half of the cycling season.

He had won the Singai round of the Kuching Mountain Bike Series Challenge a week ago after also finishing seventh in the KK Open mountain bike road race recently. Noted Kuching time trialist Chris Heng was seventh with 22mins 38secs, a credible result against the well-trained Corbusier and Sonamu riders.

Organisers of the time trail's organisers were pleased with the response to the event.

"We had 20 participants for this event. We are quite happy with the turnout," one of them said.

Team Corbusier was well represented on Sunday with Sonamu also sending a good number for the small club event.

Kuching Cycle Hub's Tay Kok Fook designed the course which featured a demanding climb up the Politeknik hill.

"Everything ran smoothly as we had the help of Bike Connection Team whose members helped us marshal the event."

"We thank BCT leader Kenny Tham and his crew for their help."

One participant was former top triathlete Ahmad Joyo whose daughter Nor Faizaltul, 17 and son Mohd. Faisal, 12, also tested themselves on the course.

Faizaltul, the only female in the event, timed 31mins 35secs while Faisal, the event's youngest rider, clocked a very credible 33mins 9secs. BCT members Edward Si and Jaccy Lee's 14 year-old son, Nelson, was also in the event.

"He really wanted to participate so we had to let him," said mom Jaccy. "This will let him experience what bike racing is like. It is safer compared to road racing with so many riders so close together," said Jaccy.

The Kuching High student clocked 27mins 27secs to finish 17th out of 20.

"It was an exciting experience," said Nelson, who despite cycling for just a year, has already done rides of 100km with his parents.

With youngsters showing such interest, it seems possible that the time trial might have a future in Kuching cycling.

Organisers are hopeful they can do this on a regular basis.

"Some participants said that it would be good to do this regularly. It is good to have such support."

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