KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Darul Ta'zim took full advantage of Pahang's slip up in Singapore to go top of the Super League standings with a 1-0 win over Armed Forces in Paroi on Saturday.
Pahang crashed to a 4-2 defeat against FA Cup winners LionsXII and saw their 12-match unbeaten league run come to a screeching halt.
If that was not bad enough, they also were knocked off the top of the table as defending champions Darul Ta'zim went a point clear.
With four games remaining, Darul Ta'zim have 40 points ahead of their home clash with LionsXII on Wednesday while Pahang remain on 39.
Substitute Safee Sali bagged the winner for Darul Ta'zim when he stroked the ball in after 70 minutes from S. Chanturu's cut-back to break Forces' stubborn resistance.
In Singapore, LionsXII winger Faris Ramli took his league tally to eight goals after scoring twice as Pahang tasted defeat in the league for the first time since Mar 14 when they were beaten 1-0 by Forces.
Faris fired in the opener after 16 minutes when he nipped in to poke Nazrul Nazari's flick-on past Pahang goalkeeper Khairul Azhan Khalid.
Madhu Mohana made it 2-0 after heading in from Zulfahmi Ariffin's corner kick on the half-hour but Argentine Matias Conti pulled a goal back two minutes before the break when he headed in Fauzi Roslan's cross.
Faris, however, slammed home on the hour-mark with a deflected effort before Safuwan Baharudin buried Pahang by finishing off a corner in the 85th though there was time for R. Surendren to score a consolation.
LionsXII coach Fandi Ahmad praised his side's display, including defender Madhu, saying: "The performance was very good. I'm happy for the boys and we defended very well.
"He's (Madhu) matured as a player. He's scored two goals in two games and maybe should have scored more today."
Terengganu claimed the bragging rights in the East Coast derby by beating Kelantan 2-1 in Kota Baru for their fifth straight win under new coach Ahmad Yusof while Kelantan suffered their first defeat in six games under Zahasmi Ismail.
Kelantan stunned Terengganu 10 seconds from kick-off when Ahmad Fakri Saarani scored off the under-side of the cross bar after being played through by Norfarhan Muhammad
Fakri had only scored once in the Under-21 President's Cup this season when he appeared as an overage player.
Vincent Bikana brought Terengganu level in the 25th minute when his tame header from a corner trickled into goal past a static Khairul Fahmi Che Mat.
Substitute Ashaari Samsudin's looping header off a corner kick hit the inside of the far post to beat Khairul Fahmi in the 74th minute to clinch the derby bragging rights for Terengganu.
Selangor have nearly sealed Sime Darby's relegation with a 3-1 win in Selayang as Rizal Fahmi Rosid (19th), Guilherme De Paula (26th penalty) and Hadi Yahaya (80th) scored to end a four-match winless run with Reinaldo Da Costa claiming a goal for Sime Darby in the 30th minute.
Shukor Adan's opener on 60 minutes, after Perak goalkeeper Zamir Selamat dropped the ball from a corner kick, and an own goal by Raffi Nagoorgani (69th) gave Felda United a 2-0 win in Ipoh.
Sarawak remain in relegation trouble, just four points ahead of 11th-placed Forces, after Afif Amiruddin's 89th-minute strike gave Police a 3-2 win in Kuching.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Indians won the national women's championship Tun Sharifah Rodziah Cup after beating defending champions 3-2 on penalties when the final ended 1-1 at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia ground in Bangi.
Nor Athirah Mamat gave Sabah the lead just before half-time but Sihaya Azad drew Malaysian Indians level in the 56th minute as the tournament returned after an absence of 10 years.