Final FA Cup 2007/2008: Kedah 3-2 Selangor

Malaysian FA Cup Final 2007/2008 -- 21 June 2008, Shah Alam Stadium, Selangor.

Super League champions Kedah beat Selangor to retain FA Cup

Kedah retained the FA Cup title to bag their second silverware of the season when they defeated Selangor 3-2 in the final at the Shah Alam Stadium. Kedah, who fielded nine President's Cup players in the starting line-up, were without their stalwarts - Marlon James and central defender Bernard Huggins -- who are both back at home playing for St Vincent and Grenadines in the Concacaf qualifying rounds of the 2010 World Cup. But Kedah have able replacements in their fleet-footed youngsters who got the goals through Mohd Fadly Baharom (2nd), Mohd Khyril Muhymeen (33rd) and Syafiq Jamal (50th) while Selangor scored through Mohd Amirulhadi Zainal (14th) and substitute Frank Seator (70th pen). It was Selangor's third defeat against Kedah this year. The Canaries, who won the Super League crown had defeated Selangor twice, 6-1 in Alor Star and 1-0 in Shah Alam. The visitors did not take long to settle down and had their fans in a frenzy when Mohd Fadly hit the back of the net in the second minute of the match. Mohd Khyril orchestrated the move from the centre with a defence splitting pass to Badrol Bakhtiar who outpaced his marker before feeding an unmarked Mohd Fadly to tuck the ball home. Kedah could have taken a 2-0 lead 10 minutes later but Mohd Khyril failed to beat Selangor goalkeeper Mohd Suffian Raman after a fine solo run. Selangor bounced back and found the equaliser in the 14th minute. Kedah's central defender Mohd Fazliata Taib made a weak clearance from Ellie Aiboi's cross, which fell onto the path of Mohd Amirulhadi who scored from close range.
Kedah pulled ahead again through Mohd Khyril in the 33rd minute. It was a neat one-two pass with Nelson Martin, which saw Khyril firing from close range giving Selangor custodian Mohd Suffian no chance. Kedah's Syafiq sealed the game when he scored the third goal in the 50th minute before Selangor substitute Frank Seator reduced the deficit from the spot kick in the 70th minute. Kedah were then reduced to 10-man when substitute Sabri Abu barely 10 minutes into play was sent off by referee Lee Chong Sheng of Perak in the 75th minute. Kedah lived dangerously playing with 10-man but held on until the final whistle.

Kedah:
Mohd Helmi Eliza Elias(GK), V. Thirumurugan, Victor Andrag (C) (Ronny Harun), Mohd Fazliata Taib, Shafizan Hashim, Nelson San Martin, Ahmad Fauzi Shaari, Mohd Fadzly Baharom (Samransak Kran), Khyril Muhymeen Zambri, Shafiq Jamal (Sabre Mat Abu), Baddrol Bakhtiar.