Penang FC Advance To FA Cup Quarters After 5-0 Aggregate Win Over Melaka

GEORGE TOWN, Sept 15 (Bernama) -- Penang FC confirmed their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals after cruising past Melaka FC with a comfortable 3-0 victory in the second leg of the Round of 16 at the City Stadium here tonight, sealing a 5-0 aggregate win.

With a two-goal advantage from the first leg, the Panthers came out fired up in front of their home fans and immediately took control of the game from the first whistle.

Team captain Stefano Brundo delighted the home supporters in the 11th minute when he calmly slotted home a rebound from Danilo Sipovac’s header, which had initially struck the crossbar.

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Foreign striker Tchetche Kipre almost doubled the score five minutes later, but his header went narrowly wide of the post.

Melaka FC attempted a fightback through Muhammad Sharel Fikri Md Fauzi in the 22nd minute, but the 31-year-old striker’s weak shot drifted past the Penang FC goal.

Penang FC widened the gap in the 39th minute through Under-23 player Ahmad Haziq Kutty Abba, who fired home the team’s second goal, piling the pressure on the visitors.

Shaken by the strike, K. Devan’s men tried to organise an attack but failed to find the net, as the hosts went into the break comfortably leading 2-0.

In the second half, Penang FC maintained their attacking rhythm with several attempts from Kipre and Dylan Wenzel-Halls, but their lack of clinical finishing denied them further goals.

The visitors launched occasional counter-attacks, but the hosts’ defence stood firm to close down the spaces.

In the 78th minute, Penang FC were reduced to 10 men when Jose Porteria was sent off by referee S. Logeswaran for a foul.

However, the dismissal did not dampen the home side’s spirit, as Kipre redeemed his earlier misses by netting the third goal in the 80th minute to seal the game.

-- BERNAMA