Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) are sending a strong message to the rest of the teams in the Super League that they have no intention of slowing down despite having won the last four league titles. On Tuesday night, they handed PKNP FC a 3-0 beating that keeps them on top of the pile after match day two.
Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Fahdli Shas and Ignacio 'Natxo' Insa all got on the score sheet and the win was their second in as many matches after the earlier narrow win over Kedah last weekend.
PKNP came with a game plan to stop JDT and for most of the first half, they were successfully denying the home side. But just minutes before half time, JDT's ingenuity during a set piece situation, saw them taking the lead. That opened up the floodgates and JDT capitalised in the second half.
The match also saw the introduction of Haziq Nadzli, Adam Nor Azlin and Hazwan Bakri into the team - three changes from the side that beat Kedah. And it was the former Selangor man who earned special praise from Ulisses Morais after the match.
"We had 2 - 3 chances before. PKNP came with a strong defensive plan and it wasn't easy for us. Important at the end for us to get that goal in the first half."
"Adam is a young boy with a lot of potential. It's important that we give chances to players. He did well marshaling the defence alongside Fadhli and I'm very happy with his performance, considering that it was his first match since returning from China.
"I will continue to rotate the squad in the coming league matches and it depends on on which team that we are facing as the tactical plans becomes a priority in every game that we have to play," said Morais in the post-match press conference.
As Morais look to ease Marcos Antonio's own reintroduction after his long lay-off, Adam may just get more and more opportunity to prove that his move to JDT was the right decision.
After two home matches, JDT will play their first away match in the league as they travel to play Kuala Lumpur this Saturday.
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