Lee punishes sloppy Kings
Andrew Lee Tuck scored a hattrick and set up a fourth goal as Terengganu FC of Malaysia thrashed Bangladesh Premier League champions Bashundhara Kings 4-2 to move into the semifinals of the Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup as champions of Group B yesterday.
The former Abahani forward converted two spot kicks towards the end of the first half as the Malaysian outfit fought back after Daniel Colindres had given the Bangladesh champions an early lead in front of a partisan crowd at the MA Aziz Stadium.
The Englishman then completed his hattrick with a superb effort from outside the box before setting up substitute Muhammad Azalinullah for the fourth as the Malaysians ran the fragile defence of Kings even more ragged. Jalal Kdouh’s late goal came as only consolation as the Bangladesh giants were eliminated, with Terengganu FC and Gokulam Kerala moving through from the group.
Bashundhara Kings, with their suspended coach Oscar Bruzon watching from the stands due to suspension, made two changes, bringing in Yeasin Khan in a five-man defence, with Colindres and Kdouh playing as strikers.
But the defence was in early trouble, unsettled by the quality forward line of Terengganu FC. Zico produced a brilliant double-save early to deny the visitors from taking the lead before Colindres’ towering header on Bishwanath Ghosh’s cross gave the hosts the lead against the run of play.
Two minutes later, Terengganu forward Syafik Bin Ismail forced another spectacular save from Zico, but the young goalkeeper’s good work was undone by two late penalties in the first half as Yeasin and Bakhtiyar Duyshobekov brought down Syafik inside the box twice within three minutes after sloppily losing possession.
Lee Tuck stepped up on both occasions and picked the same spot of the net with clinical accuracy as Terengganu gained the advantage going into the break.
Bashundhara started the second half aggressively and should have got the equaliser when Matin Mia set up Colindres for a nod-in with a chest-height cross, but the Costa Rican forward failed to get his head on the ball, instead getting his body on the ball and failing to get it across the line.
Bashundhara Kings moved to a 4-4-2 formation, but their worries only increased when Lee Tuck picked the far corner of the net with a powerful attempt from the edge of the box on 74 minutes before setting up substitute Azalinullah for the fourth goal four minutes later.
Bashundhara Kings made three substitutions, including bringing on Eleta Kingsley and the Nigerian almost had an immediate impact, rattling the crossbar before teeing up Colindres for a cross which Kdouh tapped home.
But the Kings, who needed a victory to qualify, had the game already out of their reach by that time.
The team’s assistant coach Mahbub Hossain Roxy felt that the two penalties at the end of the first half and a couple of missed opportunities threw them out of the game and admitted they need more time and recruitment to build a more balanced side for next season, where they will play the AFC Cup alongside the domestic tournaments.
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