Piala FA: JDT Beat Penang 4-1 for 11-3 Aggregate Win
Three-Goal First-Half Burst Puts the Tie Beyond Doubt as Southern Tigers Follow Their Shopee Cup Rout With Another Dominant Home Display
Johor Darul Ta’zim confirmed their place in the Malaysia FA Cup semi-finals by beating Penang FC 4-1 in the second leg, running out 11-3 winners on aggregate. A 3-0 first-half lead ended any suspense in the tie.
JDT arrived with a 7-2 aggregate advantage, but they were keen to keep their winning rhythm going after their 6-0 win over PKR Svay Rieng in the Shopee Cup group stage.
Harimau Malaya striker Bergson da Silva led JDT’s attack. Penang set up in a 3-4-3, with Stefano Brundo heading their defence.
JDT pushed for an early goal in the first half through Bergson, Shahab Zahedi and Manuel Hidalgo, and it came from the penalty spot.
The referee awarded JDT a penalty in the 13th minute after spotting a foul on a home player inside the box. Bergson stepped up and calmly beat goalkeeper Ramadhan Hamid.
Ten minutes later it was 2-0. Dejan Petrovic played a quick pass that Nacho Mendez, the former Sporting Gijón playmaker, finished past Ramadhan. Zahedi kept up his scoring form with a goal in the final minute of the half, and JDT went into the interval 3-0 ahead.
After the break, head coach Xisco Muñoz brought on Stuart Wilkin, Daniesh Amirruddin and Dani Bolt for Bergson, Zahedi and Yago Cesar. The substitutions did not slow JDT down. They kept pressing Penang’s defence, which Brundo organised.
The FA Cup is one of the competitions JDT have named as a priority for full-strength selection this season, alongside the Super League and the AFC Champions League Elite. With a big lead, Muñoz was still able to rest three attackers.
As Penang worked to stop JDT adding to their tally, Hidalgo scored in the 72nd minute. The Harimau Malaya winger hit a shot from outside the penalty area that went into the net.
Penang pulled one back in the 86th minute, when Brundo beat goalkeeper Christian Abad with a long-range effort. The visitors tried to cut the aggregate deficit further, but the score stayed at 4-1 until full time.
Bergson, Hidalgo and Wilkin all featured for Malaysia in the recent FIFA ASEAN Cup. Bergson scored a hat-trick against Singapore, and Hidalgo set up Wilkin’s goal in that match. Their sharpness here suggests the national team duty has not slowed them down.
The 11-3 aggregate score shows how comfortably JDT handled the tie, and the semi-finals are now secured. The Southern Tigers are scoring freely across competitions, and they have goals coming from forwards, midfielders and wingers.
Credit Photo : JST
