# PKNS FC need to beat N.Sembilan to keep pace in 100PLUS Premier League
# Shah Alam Stadium is new home venue for PKNS for rest of the season
By Rizal Abdullah
The 3-1 away win over Sabah in a 100PLUS Premier League match at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu on Friday came with lot of positives for Selangor club PKNS FC.
The league win came in the wake of a 4-1 defeat to Perak in a Malaysia Cup match in Group C in Ipoh three days earlier.
Full points in Likas was more than soothing for PKNS coach E. Elavarasan as his team prepares to face Negri Sembilan in a league match on Monday at the Shah Alam Stadium – PKNS FC’s home venue for the rest of the season. The Hang Jebat Stadium in Malacca has been PKNS home venue before this.
The win over Sabah not only pushed PKNS into third place with 26 points after 13 matches but also narrowed the gap at the top. Malacca United lead the 100PLUS League with 30 points while JDT II are second on 28.
“The Malaysia Cup defeat to Perak is a thing of the past…we lost the match due lapse in concentration in defence in a five minute spell when we conceded three goals. But this is football and such things do happen.
“I am pleased that we recovered from the (Malaysia Cup) defeat to Perak. The players were composed and disciplined against Sabah. The positive signs puts us in the right frame of mind to face Negri.
“Negri is a good side. It will be a tough match but we are capable of a positive result in our quest to move up the table,” said Elavarasan, who will have to make do without his No 1 goalkeeper G. Jeevananthan who is nursing a back injury.
Jeevananthan did not play against Perak and Sabah. Elavarasan will count on second choice Mohd Nor Haziq Aris. The other goalkeeper in the team is Remezey Che Ros.
“The match against Negri will be an interesting affair because both teams need the points to keep pace at the top of the league.”
Negri fell to a 3-1 defeat to JDT II in their last league match and are in fourth place with 25 points. Fifth-placed Kuala Lumpur are also on 25 but are separated by goal difference.
