PAROI: Pahang reached the FA Cup final after a nervy 2-1 win over Negri Sembilan in the semi-final return leg for a 3-1 aggregate success on Saturday.
Dollah Salleh's side will take on Kedah for the title on May 20 with the winner earning a spot in next season's AFC Cup.
Pahang scored off their first attempt when South Korean centre-back Heo Jae Won rose above his markers and headed in Ahmad Syamim Yahya's deep free kick for his third goal of the season in the sixth minute.
Negri centre-backs Annas Rahmat and Arman Fareez Ali, who stood in as a replacement for captain Nasriq Baharom, should have done better in marking out Jae Won.
Five minutes later, Wan Zaharulnizam Zakaria latched onto a loose ball inside the Negri box but his shot sailed just over the bar past goalkeeper Saiful Amar Sudar.
Negri, however, did not give up and continued to press forward.
In the 30th minute, Bruno Castanheira's square ball from the left side of the Pahang box was heading towards teammate Izuan Salahuddin but defender Muslim Ahmad made an deflection to deny Negri.
Annas managed to squeeze in a header off a Negri free kick but an alert Pahang keeper Wan Azraie Wan Teh managed to block it five minutes before the breather.
In the second half, Negri were a better team and had several opportunities before Castanheira equalised with a header off a Lee Tuck cross in the 68th minute.
However, Negri's move to attack left gaps at the back.
Substitute D. Christie Jayaseelan scored his first goal of the season in the second minute of stoppage time to hand Pahang the win.