SHAH ALAM: Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) and PKNS played to a 0-0 draw in a Super League match at the Shah Alam Stadium on Sunday.
The draw meant that JDT have so far failed to win any of the three league fixtures that they have played in the Klang Valley this season.
It wasn’t a first-half packed with action as both teams struggled to come to terms with the wet pitch following a heavy downpour.
Nineteen minutes had passed before the first shot on target was registered but Safawi Rasid’s attempt failed to trouble PKNS goalkeeper Shahril Saari.
The less than satisfactory conditions of the pitch continued to make the play very scrappy with lots of fouls by both sides that contributed to a stop-start nature of the match.
Late in the first half, the first presentable chance was created when a ball was floated into the box and JDT’s Jorge Santos Silva managed to divert towards goal but once again keeper Shahril was on hand to deny the away side.
After a quiet first half, Harry Novillo was replaced at the start of the second half by JDT coach Raul Longhi with Nazmi Faiz Mansor coming into central midfield.
PKNS’s Rafael Ramazotti did put the ball in the net early in the second half but his header was ruled out after he was adjudged to have fouled JDT keeper Farizal Marlias in the process.
From then on, JDT had the lion share of ball possession but found the home side’s defence tough to crack.
PKNS continued to shut the door on JDT and the match finished with neither side being able to break the deadlock.
With the single point collected, JDT see their lead at the top of the table cut from eight points to six, following Perak’s win on Saturday.
PKNS remained in sixth spot with 19 points, two points behind fifth-place Kedah.