Riot mars Perseden, PSIS match

Riot mars Perseden, PSIS match

I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

Balinese soccer fans enraged by a refereeing decision rioted at
the Ngurah Rai Stadium on Sunday, forcing the abandonment of a
game between Denpasar-based Perseden and Semarang-based PSIS.

The local fans, apparently angered by a decision not to award
Perseden a penalty kick, forced their way through a security
fence, stormed the pitch, set fire to the sound system speakers
and advertising banners and threw stones through most of the
stadium's glass window.

Several rioters sustained minor injuries from police using
batons or by stones thrown by the crowd.

The outnumbered police officers did manage to evacuate the
referee, Harmuji, to a police station across the street from the
stadium.

PSIS players were later escorted by police from the stadium.

The riot erupted in the 85th minute of the match with the
score 1-1 when Perseden striker Gbeneme Friday was roughly
tackled inside PSIS's penalty box.

The home players, led by captain Yeyen Tumena, launched a
protest, demanding a penalty shot. However, Referee Harmuji
insisted the tackle was clean, a decision that infuriated the
fans.

Assisted by at least 60 officers from the police's elite
Mobile Brigade, the on-duty riot police gradually dispersed the
crowd, and by 8 p.m. local time (7 p.m. Jakarta time), the
situation was under control.

PSIS's Indrianto Nugroho shocked the home fans with a goal in
the second minute. Achmad Junaidi equalized with a goal after 35
minutes.