Kuala Lumpur City’s hunt for the runners-up spot hit a massive speed bump tonight, as they were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by bottom-side PDRM FC at Stadium MPS, Selayang.
KL City entered the match as heavy favorites and looked sharp early on. Kpah Sherman tested the waters in the 6th minute with a stinging effort, but PDRM custodian Nor Hakeem Hamidun set the tone for his night with a solid save.
The script was flipped in the 12th minute. Against the run of play, PDRM’s Park Tae-su delivered a clinical pass to Elisha Oluwasegun Kashim. The striker didn’t hesitate, unleashing a thunderous strike that left KL City keeper Quincy Julian Kammeraad with no chance, handing the underdogs a shock lead.
KL City captain Paulo Josue had two clear chances to restore parity before the break. First, an unmarked header in the 25th minute sailed agonizingly over the bar, and a long-range rocket four minutes later was expertly tipped away by an inspired Nor Hakeem.
The second half began with a barrage of KL City attacks. Zhafri Yahya was denied twice in the opening ten minutes of the restart as Nor Hakeem continued his “human wall” act.
The pressure finally told in the 62nd minute. Declan Lambert took matters into his own hands, firing a powerful drive that finally breached the PDRM goal to level the scores at 1-1.
With the momentum firmly in their favor, KL City threw everything forward in search of a winner. The dramatic climax arrived in stoppage time when Malaysian international Safawi Rasid unleashed a curling effort that looked destined for the back of the net, only to see it rattle the crossbar and bounce clear.
The final whistle confirmed a bittersweet night for Bojan Hodak’s men. While they avoid defeat, the loss of two points feels like a defeat in the context of the title race, while PDRM celebrates a hard-earned point that ends their double-digit losing slide.
The City Boys missed a golden opportunity to leapfrog Selangor FC into second place. Instead, they remain one point behind the Red Giants—a gap that could stretch to four points if Selangor manage to overcome Terengganu FC this Sunday.
For the Cops, this result is a monumental moral victory. The draw snaps a harrowing 10-match losing streak, marking their first point in months and bringing their season total to seven points from 16 matches.
Credit Photo : KL City
