BUKIT Jalil Sports School (BJSS) got their first point in the Minister of Education Football League when they held SMK Tunku Anum to a scoreless draw in a Group B match at the National Sports Council (NSC) ground in Bukit Jalil recently.

BJSS, who had lost their previous three matches, were not the fancied team as SMK Tunku Anum came with a 100% record for the match. SMK Tunku Anum from Kedah had won their three matches. As expected, SMK Tunku Anum dominated the first half of the match and BJSS, represented by an Under-13 squad, were forced to defend.

However, the second half was a different story with BJSS gaining control of the game. Despite the chances created, both teams failed to score. In the end, both teams settled for a 0-0 draw and earned a point each. BJSS were certainly happier as they had secured their first point in the competition.

BJSS coach Mohd Haris Lajid was pleased with his team’s performance and praised his players for controlling possession in the second half without giving the opponents a chance to play. “We have a daunting task of playing three games in a week, starting with the match against SMK Tunku Anum. I was afraid the players may get nervous but the boys had improved a lot since our first game against SMK Mutiara Impian.

“We have exactly three games before the second round and this is the right time to peak. I believe our players are definitely on the right track,” added Haris. SMK Tunku Anum coach Ismail Saad admitted that his team was short on strength due to injuries to many players.

“Most of our key players are nursing injuries and could not start the match. We still had numerous chances to score and our players were a bit slow to take those chances.

“We tried changing the front line in the second half but we could not gain possession. It was a fair result in the end,” added Ismail.

The Star Online