KUCHING : Kuching City FC narrowly lost to Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) 2-1 putting up a valiant fight that challenged the league leaders.
The Southern Tigers playing at their home ground of Sultan Ibrahim Stadium faced a tough battle against The Cats, who displayed remarkable discipline throughout the match.
Kuching City effectively frustrated JDT as Hector Bidoglio’s side struggled to penetrate their solid defence.
However, this discipline faltered in the second half when Kuching conceded a goal just three minutes in.
A critical error from Moses Atede, who failed to clear the ball from a dangerous area, was seized upon by Arif Aiman.
Arif then delivered a perfectly lobbed pass to an unmarked Bergson, who headed the ball past Shahril Saa’ri in the 48th minute.
Kuching came close to equalising in the 70th minute when Nur Shamie Iszuan used his pace on the right wing to challenge JDT’s goalkeeper, who managed to parry the shot away.
As the match neared its conclusion, JDT’s manager Hector Bidoglio could finally breathe easy when Juan Muniz extended JDT’s lead to 2-0 with a well-placed lob that eluded Shahril.
Substitute Luiz Fernando Welter pulled one back for Kuching City in the 84th minute, but they could not find the equaliser before the final whistle.
This victory keeps the Southern Tigers atop the league, maintaining their unbeaten record this season.
Meanwhile, Kuching City FC remains in fourth place after 11 matches with 14 points, gearing up to face Negeri Sembilan at home on October 18.
