You can tell the fate of the chicken from its claws but not so for human beings. That is the best phrase to describe the situation of the Super League match between PJ City FC and Selangor FC where Danial Asri emerged as the hero by scoring the only goal and giving the Red Giants three full points, last night.

Playing on a wet field surface due to rain, both teams started the match a bit slower and more cautiously. Several successful attempts were made by Jordanian-born midfielder Baha' Abdelrahman through a free kick where the effort forced PJ City goalkeeper Kalamullah Al-Hafiz to fly his body to deny the goal.

Selangor, who played on the visiting team, almost opened the scoring when a counterattack was launched by Mukhairi Ajmal, but the pressure from the opponent's defense made it difficult for him to make an accurate attempt toward the PJ City goal. After being tied without a goal in the first half, Selangor Head Coach Tan Cheng Hoe chose to make 3 changes by bringing Aliff Haiqal in for Norhakim Hassan (minute 57) and two simultaneous changes by bringing in Alex Agyarkwa and Danial Asri to replace Baha' Abdelrahman and Herlison Caion in the 72nd minute.

Nine minutes later and as if lucky things fell into his hands, Mukhairi Ajmal managed to release a beautiful cross which was headed in by Danial Asri who scored his first league goal of the season which enlivened the atmosphere at the MBPJ Stadium, Kelana Jaya. The 1-0 result remained until the end and this victory pushed Selangor to 7th position in the league with 26 points, one point behind Kedah (27 points) and one point ahead of Pahang in 8th place (25 points).

Here are some takeaways from last night's match against PJ City:

1. Second victory and 'clean sheet' for Tan Cheng Hoe and his boys

Since being appointed on September 24, this is Tan Cheng Hoe's second win in a row after beating Melaka United 5-0 last week. Praise should also be given to the defenders and goalkeepers who also managed to record a 'clean sheet' for two consecutive matches. Sam Somerville performed brilliantly by making several saves not forgetting Sharul Nazeem and Yazan Al-Arab who also made many blocks and interceptions.

2. Danial Asri 'Supersub' in the making

In the last two matches, this 22-year-old player was included in the second half to further sharpen Selangor's attacking lines. The former top scorer in the Premier League 2020 proved his impact by assisting Brendan Gan’s goal against Melaka last week as well as scoring the only goal to seal victory for Selangor last night.

When interviewed, Danial Asri was clearly happy with his contribution saying, "Alhamdulillah, thank God because, with His help, I was able to help the team for these last two games. I promise I will do my best every time I am given the chance to play", he said.

The 20 matches for the 2022 Super League have been completed, the Red Giants will fly to Kuching to face Sarawak United (October 11) and Penang (October 15) for the last two remaining league matches. These last two matches are quite important for all teams because the league position will determine their fate in the Malaysia Cup soon.

Demi Kebanggaan!