SHUHAIRAIN SAVES NEGRI THE BLUSHES

Shuhairain celebrate after scoring the winning goal 

NEGRI SEMBILAN stay on course to defend their Malaysia Cup title with a 1-0 home win against Perlis in 1st leg Malaysia Cup quarter-final at Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium last night.

Substitute Shuhairain Abu Samah notch the winning goal in the 51st minute to give the defending champions hopes in the return leg in Kangar this Saturday.

Despite the win the home side should have easily book their passage but they miss three glorious opportunity to wrap up the match to give the visitor any chances of coming back in the second leg.

In the 21st minute, veteran Ching Hong Aik who was unmarked came in perfectly from the blind side but fail in his attempt to connect captain's Rezal Zambry Yahya free-kick.

On the half-hour mark, striker Norizam Salaman miss another goalscoring opportunity after midfielder Abdul Halim Zainal hook the ball into the six yard box. But the striker fail to guide the ball into the net despite given a free header by the opponent defence. The striker was later replaced by coach Wan Jamak Wan Hassan for Shuhairain Abu Samah in the 37th minute.

The substitute took just 14 minutes to stamp his mark. Six minutes after the break, Shuhairain freed himself between two Perlis defenders for Abdul Halim to slip through a perfect pass into his path. The striker calmly guide his shot past the Perlis goalkeeper, Suhardi Alby to give his side a 1-0 lead.

Six minutes before end Negri should have easily in the driving seat when speedy S. Kunalan race through into the box to recieve a long through pass but saw his first time shot was couple of inches went wide past the right-hand post.