Sabah FC defender Randy Baruh (left) keeps a close eye on Penang FC’s Mohammad Amer Azahar in the Super League clash at the Likas Stadium on Sunday night.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah FC’s winless run in the Super League continued after going down 0-3 to Penang FC at the Likas Stadium on Sunday night.
Brazilian striker Anselmo Arruda Da Silva, or popularly known as Casagrande, scored in each half before Tajikistani centre forward Sheriddin Boboev added a third to propel Penang FC into the league top three.
As for Sabah FC, the defeat left them without a win in their last seven matches.
The Rhinos went into the match with their strongest possible line-up with South Korean defensive midfielder Park Tae Su and the combative Azzizan Nordin returning to the side.
The teams were evenly contested in the first half but Penang FC’s lethal finishing separated the side.
Park hit the side netting with a firm header in the 15th minute while striker Josip Ivancic saw his header cleared off the line before Amri Yahya rattled the crossbar with the follow-up effort on the half-hour mark.
The missed chances proved costly as Casagrande put Penang FC in the lead when he headed home from a Muhammad Khairu Azrin Khazali’s pin-point cross in the 38th minute.
Casagrande again used his height to good effect when he beat Sabah FC captain Ristro Mitrevic in an aerial battle to send a bullet header past goalkeeper Rozaimie Rohim in the 54th minute.
There was no stopping Penang FC as they continued to pile the pressure on the Rhinos and in the 67th minute, Boboev put the score beyond the reach of the homeside.
The lively Boboev picked up a short pass just outside the box before evading three Sabah players to roll the ball into the back of the net.
The Rhinos tried to fight back towards the end of the game but Ivancic was denied twice while Saddil Ramdani’s attempt hit the foot of the goalpost.
Sabah FC, who have collected 19 points from as many games, will next face bottom-of-the-table UiTM FC in Shah Alam on August 28.