PSPS Claim Away Victory Against Sumsel United
PSPS secured a 2-1 win over Sumsel United in Liga 2's regular season third round on Saturday. The away side took the lead early through A. Subhi's ninth-minute strike and held on despite being reduced to ten men late on. Toninho and N. Siringo scored for the visitors after the interval.
Subhi's opening goal arrived before anyone could settle. He was booked himself on sixty-ninth minute after a quiet spell in midfield. Sumsel had a yellow card on the hour through P. Trenady, and PSPS accumulated two more before the break. By then the visitors already knew they were ahead.
The second half brought nothing dramatic until the seventy-third minute. Toninho found the net for PSPS, and moments later Siringo added the winner. Sumsel threw bodies forward, but the visitors' defence held firm. And here's the thing — it was the red card that truly defined the closing stages.
T. Pangestu received his second yellow on ninety-first minute and was sent off. Sumsel had already brought on five substitutes by then, but losing a player so late meant they could not mount a real comeback. The visitors brought on Felipe Ryan and H. Mochizuki in the eightieth minute to see out the game.
The result leaves Sumsel United fourth with twenty-seven points from twenty-seven matches. PSPS sit sixth on thirty-seven points, eight behind the hosts. Sumsel have won twelve, drawn six and lost nine this season, while PSPS have nine victories and ten draws. The visitors had already beaten the hosts 2-0 in April.
What matters here is not the table positions but the nature of the victory. PSPS scored twice in quick succession and weathered the storm after Pangestu's dismissal. Sumsel United now face the prospect of another defeat at home if they cannot find consistency. The gap between third and fourth place remains tight, and every point counts.
