Ngah delivers last-gasp winner as 10-man Kuching City stun Melaka

KUCHING: Ronald Ngah struck deep into stoppage time to complete a dramatic 2-1 comeback win for 10-man Kuching City FC against Melaka in the Malaysia Super League at Hang Jebat Stadium last night (Sept 12).

The Cats appeared to have let the three points slip away when Melaka’s Dong-hyeon Do equalised in the 92nd minute, but Ngah restored Kuching City’s lead in the sixth minute of added time to snatch victory.

Jerome Etame had put Kuching City ahead in the 22nd minute, but the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Yuki Tanigawa was sent off in the 56th minute.

Rather than retreat into a defensive shell, head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak kept faith with his side’s attacking approach.

“We don’t park the bus and put five in defence to defend the game. We still believe with the four in defence, four in midfield. We are brave enough, strong enough”, he told reporters during a post match interview.

His players appeared to have held on for three points before Melaka levelled in the 92nd minute through Dong-hyeon Do.

However, Kuching City FC were not finished as Ronald Ngah restored their lead in the sixth minute of added time to seal a dramatic victory and cap a memorable birthday for the forward.

“We didn’t give up. We were still going forward, and we attacked, and that’s where the goal came from,” he said.

The result was made even more satisfying by the demands placed on the squad, with Aidil pointing to their heavy schedule and run of six or seven consecutive away matches.

“To play 10 men away, and be playing back-to-back away games…what else can I ask from the boys?” he added.

There is little time to rest, however, with Kuching City now preparing for their first AFC Champions League assignment in Cambodia.

For a side entering the ACL for the first time, Aidil admitted Kuching City are still “raw”, but believes they can approach the challenge with a positive and clear mindset.

“We have a Cambodia game for ACL, so there’s no rest for us.

“This is the first game, so definitely we’re going to try our best to get the maximum points,” he said.