Heading into Round 5 of the 2019 Malaysia Super League, Kedah were top of the pile ahead of Johor Darul Ta'zim on goal difference but a win for JDT and only a draw for The Red Eagles meant that the reigning champions of the league had overtaken them in the table.
PKNS FC proved to be an obdurate opponent as K. Rajagopal's side were wary of the form that Kedah is in and defended brilliantly to snuff out the threat of the home side. Chances fell to the likes of Jonathan Bauman and Fernando Rodriguez but Aidil Sharin's boys found the PKNS defence hard to breach.
After the match, Aidil was not not overly despondent on the draw, the second time that they have been held this season thus far. With stronger and tougher challenges to come in the next few matches, the head coach from Singapore is more focus on trying to regain the momentum of his team.
"We knew that it was going to be a tough game because PKNS came here with a plan. Credit has to go to them, they worked very hard and defended very well. But for us, I think we tried too hard because the boys really wanted to win this home game. But overall I'm still happy. We have only conceded one goal thus far. It's just that today (Saturday) just wasn't our night, we had a few chances but the ball just didn't want to go in."
"Of course Renan (Alves) will be a miss because he's our key player. But now I have to plan without him for two games. We have to use whoever we have. We need to motivate the boys a lot and bring their confidence back. We don't think of JDT first because our next game is against Pahang," said Aidil in the post-match press conference.
Renan was shown a straight red for a needless head butt on Faizat Ghazli in the 87th minute and will now miss two matches as a result and it couldn't have come at a worst period of the season for Kedah. That is because their next two matches are against fellow title challengers who are also unbeaten in Pahang and JDT.
The big Brazilian has formed a formidable defence for Kedah alongside Shakir Hamzah where they have kept four clean sheets from five matches with Perak the only team who can claim to have managed to put one past them. Khairul Helmi could be called upon to replace Renan and it remains to be seen if the former national player can ensure Kedah can continue to keep their fortress intact.
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