Reported by: Zuhdi Rabin
Level Up FC claimed their second win in as many matches in the AXA Klang Valley League after defeating Gombak FC 3-0 at Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) Stadium on Wednesday night.
The 2016 Klang Valley Premier (Plate) winners were without a number of key players with the likes of Joshua Lee, Matthew Devaraj and Reshan Kumar missing out due to other commitments. This allowed head coach Ganesan a/l Poologanathan the chance to . 19 year-old Rashwin Nair was handed his first start for Level Up in M5 .
Gombak FC suffered a 2-0 defeat in the first group match against Ampang United last week and they were looking to turn things around by earning their first points of the season against Level Up FC.
The opening ten minutes saw Gombak FC dictate the tempo of the match through a string of clever passes and the retention of possession within the team. They showed enthusiasm by applying a high-pressing defensive line and were out to win back the ball every single time that they lost it.
However, Level Up FC absorbed the pressure and converted it into a counter-attacking display – as Kreeshvwar Sukumar and Rashwin Nair were closest to opening the scoring for the boys in red and black, as both their attempt on goals were deflected off the crossbar.
Minutes later, a through ball from defender Sharran Raj found Subhramani Thanghamuthu, who controlled it with his knee before slotting the ball past the Gombak FC goalkeeper.
The second goal of the night also came from the right-hand side of the field as a surging run from Nishindran a/l Mahendran caused the captain of Gombak FC to put in the back of his own net to make it 2-0 to Level Up FC.
On the verge of half-time, another breathtaking cross from Nishindran found Ramanan a/ Palaniandi, and the flashy winger took it first time to cap off a brilliant half for the Petaling Jaya-based team.
In the second half, Coach Ganesan made six changes and the score stayed the same until the end.
Level Up FC will face KL Gators in the third group stage match next week, while Gombak FC look to turn their fortunes in their next match against FC Serayan.
Match statistics
MOTM: T. Subhramani (Level Up FC)