3-5-2 FOOTBALL

Kelantan silenced their critics as they bounced back from poor form in the Super League to retain the FA Cup by edging Darul Takzim 1-0. They showed that money alone cannot buy success as they tamed big spenders at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil tonight. Mohd Norfarhan Mohd 's solitary strike in the 15th minute was enough for The Red Warriors to clinch victory. Captain Badhri Radzi was the toast of Kelantan as the midfielder's pin-point passes and great vision led to his side's win and a spot in the AFC Cup next season. As for Darul Takzim, the Johor side were hardly a threat as their strikers and midfielders failed to gel throughout the match. The energetic Kelantan side were all over the ineffective JDT side from the whistle and should have netted at least three goals in the first half. JDT got off on the wrong footing right from the start and it was no surprise that coach Fandi Ahmad made all three substitutions in the first half. National st

Johor Darul Takzim ( JDT ) progressed to the Malaysia FA Cup Final after winning a tightly fought match over Pahang tonight. Pahang 2 - Johor Darul Takzim 1 (Agg: 2-2) – JDT won on away goal rules. The win set them up to a mouth-watering clash against Kelantan .  Pahang came out fighting like a winner, wanting to make up for lost time after Tuesday's postponement. A double by Mathias Conti gave Pahang the advantage. However an away goal from Andrezinho destroyed everything.  With the score line 2-1 at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil , Pahang struggled to overcome the deficit. Pahang came back with a fight and had a few chances but all of them fail to make an impact until the referee blew the final whistle. Photo: Tigers Super Sports l Report: Donadoni Sports