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