Malay Mail bow out after early promise (The Malay Mail)

KUALA LUMPUR MALAY MAIL bowed out in the first round of the FA Cup
tournament when they lost 3-0 to Malacca in the return leg at Kubu Stadium
last night.
 MM, reduced to 10 men in the 37th minute when striker U. Suresh was sent
off by referee Halim Abdul Halim for apparently elbowing Mohamad Paizal
Mohamad Yasan, were held 3-3 in the first leg.
 It was an evenly contested match until the sacking as Suresh and strike
partner, Mohamad Sham Mohamad Nor, were proving to be a threat to the
Malacca defence.
 Sham scored twice and Suresh once in the first leg on March 9 and the
duo came in for extra attention from the Malacca defenders last night.
 While Malacca had played six Premier Two matches since the first leg FA
Cup clash, MM played only several friendly matches to keep their edge.
 Malacca, fresh from their 2-0 win over Kelantan in Premier Two on
Friday, were in high spirit and determined not to allow a club side to end
their unbeaten run at home.
 But the hosts had to wait until the 63th minute before Ahmad Fadzli
Abdul Latif beat goalkeeper M. Pavalamani for their opening goal.
 MM brought in Mohamad Afandi Safar to help Sham out and the duo went for
broke.
 However, MM's fight ended when leftback Mohamad Ishak Kunju Mohamad
misjudged a cross and Abdul Karim Rahman sent it past a hapless Pavalamani
in the 77th minute.
 Ishak also conceced a penalty for a tackle on Khairul Nazri Salman in
the box in the dying seconds of the match.
 Malacca goalkeeper Abdul Zainal Rabin had no trouble beating Pavalamani.
 Malacca, coached G. Torairaju, are having a good run this season and
they have been rewarded with fairly large attendances.
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