Match Report: Kelantan Red Warrior vs Kuala Lumpur City
Kuala Lumpur City took all three points on the road, beating Kelantan Red Warrior 3-1 in the Super League on Friday. The visitors had been without a win for two matches before this one, while the hosts were already at the bottom of the table with three defeats from three games. By then the league was still early, but the gap between sides was becoming clear.
Kelantan took the lead through P. D. Musa in the 44th minute, a rare moment of hope for a team that had not managed to score in their previous two outings. Kuala Lumpur responded quickly, with A. Azlin equalising just before half-time in the 51st minute after the break. Paulo Josue then took over, scoring in the 57th minute to put his side ahead for good.
There was a VAR review in the 65th minute but the goal was cancelled, adding a brief pause to proceedings. Kelantan made changes in the second half — A. Latiff Suhaimi and M. Che Mat came on together in the 72nd minute — but could not find a way back. And here's the thing, the hosts had nothing to do all evening after that first half-hour.
Five yellow cards were shown: A. Khussyairi, K. Azizi, G. Gallifuoco, H. Hazli, and one more unnamed. Substitutions were made at regular intervals, with M. S. Jamaluddin coming on late in the 90th minute. Kelantan's P. D. Musa was replaced for his effort, which was the most the home side could offer.
Kuala Lumpur added a third goal through Paulo Josue in the 89th minute, a simple finish that confirmed the result. The visitors are now sitting in ninth place with three points from three games, while Kelantan remain on zero, twelfth and without a victory. To be fair, the table does not tell the full story, but it shows where the momentum lies.
This win gives Kuala Lumpur a chance to build something, while Kelantan are running out of games before the season truly begins. The hosts ground out a goal, but it was not enough against a side that refused to go away. By then, the visitors had already set their standard for the campaign.
