PSM wins, but Persikota still leads league
PSM wins, but Persikota still leads league
Andi Hajramurnim, The Jakarta Post, Makassar
PSM handed runaway leader Persikota its second defeat with a 3-1 win in the Indonesian soccer league match at the Mattoangin Stadium here on Wednesday.
Jack Komboy, Ronald Fagumdez and Ponaryo Astaman were all on target to move PSM to second place with 12 points.
Despite the defeat, Persikota, whose only goal came courtesy of Supriyono, leads the 18-strong league with 15 points but PSM has a game in hand.
The match, before around 20,000 spectators, was halted for a quarter after PSM's second goal due to protests from Persikota players who claimed Ponaryo committed a hand ball while heading in to score.
Meanwhile, Persija's unbeaten record came to a halt when it lost away to host PSPS Pekanbaru 2-1, while Persebaya had a goal feast with a crushing 5-1 win over visiting Persijatim of Surakarta, Antara reported.
Persija was leading with a header from Argentine midfielder Hernan Ortiz, before PSPS' Joe Nagbe headed home an equalizer.
Castro sealed the home win with his goal in the second half following a skirmish in front of the opponents' goal in their match at the Rumbai Stadium, Pekanbaru.
National striker Kurniawan Dwi Julianto and Danilo Fernando booked two goals apiece in Persebaya's big win over their opponents.
Kurniawan scored Persebaya's first goal only in the second minute of the game and followed it up with a second in the 22nd.
Midfielder Fernando increased the margin in the fifth and 30th minutes while the last punishing goal by the host team was delivered by Christian Carrasco in the 51st minute.
Persijatim's only goal was made by Alejandro Pedro in the 12th minute.
In Pekanbaru, Persija appeared unable to cling to its lead, thanks to Ortiz's header, which beat goalkeeper Fance Hariyanto, as PSPS refused to sit back and began to pick up the pace.
However, PSPS's effort was not duly rewarded, with their strikers seemingly finding difficulties in matching against Persija's defensive line marshaled by national player Aples Tecuari.
But, led by Komang Mariawan in front, PSPS did not lose consistency in the attack and eventually broke the drought through Nagbe, who jumped for a header to conquer Agus Sriyanto two minutes before half time.
As soon as the second half started, PSPS took the initiative to follow what it had successfully done in the first half, creating several goal chances.
Twenty minutes later, Castro punished Agus with a strong kick out of the skirmish to seal for PSPS a deserving 2-1 win.
In Jakarta, the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI)'s Disciplinary Commission slammed a two-month suspension and a Rp 5 million (US$588) fine on Persipura Jayapura's midfielder Soni Papara for kicking Persijatim's Piko Malik Binegol of France during their match last week.
Commission chairman Togar Manahan Nero told reporters that the ruling was based on referee reports and video footage.
But the commission refused to suspend Piko, who was reported to have assaulted Persipura's Ridwan Bao, with Togar reasoning that Piko was just kidding around and that a Rp 5 million fine on the player was a fair penalty.
Wednesday's results:
Persebaya 5 Persijatim 1
PSMS 2 Pelita 1
PSPS 2 Persija 1
Persela 1 Persik 0
Deltras 0 PSS 0
PSM 3 Persikota 1
PKT 2 PSIS 0