Adam shines for Home United in AFC Cup qualifying play-off
Midfielder scores one goal and creates another to send Protectors into group stages of AFC Cup
| HOME UNITED | PHNOM PENH CROWN |
| 3 | 0 |
| (Adam Swandi 14, Stipe Plazibat 71, Amiruldin Asraf 82) |
- Home win 7-3 on aggregate
Home United sealed their passage to the group stages of the AFC Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Cambodian side Phnom Penh Crown at the Jalan Besar Stadium last night.
The S.League side headed into the AFC Cup qualifying play-off second-leg match in the driver's seat, having edged a seven-goal thriller in the first leg played in Phnom Penh over a week ago.
Needing a two-goal win to progress at the expense of Home, Crown's chances of qualifying were dimmed further when they conceded after just 14 minutes.
A superb through-pass by Faris Ramli from inside his own half split the Cambodian side's backline and set Adam Swandi through on goal.
NO MISTAKE
The Home midfielder made no mistake, lifting the ball past Crown goalkeeper Keo Soksela.
The visitors refused to give up and threatened early in the second half.
Home and national goalkeeper Hassan Sunny had to pull off a double save in the 49th minute and, from the resulting corner kick, Crown's Japanese striker Yuta Nakamura saw his header crash off the woodwork.
But Home regained their composure and made sure of the result when Stipe Plazibat turned in a cross from Adam in the 71st minute.
Substitute Amiruldin Asraf, the son of ex-national striker Nordin Khalil, added some gloss to the scoreline when he finished from close range eight minutes before the end.
"Playing teams in the AFC Cup is never easy," said Home coach Aidil Sharin.
"Crown are a very fit team, and they played pressing football.
"All credit must go to the players for carrying out my plan well."
Home will be grouped alongside Myanmar league champions Yadanarbon and Vietnamese Cup winners Than Quang Ninh in Group H.
The Protectors kick off their group-stage campaign on Feb 22 with an away match against Yadanarbon, at the Mandalar Thiri Stadium in Mandalay.
- HOME UNITED: Hassan Sunny, Shamil Sharif, Irfan Fandi (Abdil Qaiyyim 86), Sirina Camara, Juma'at Jantan, Izzdin Shafiq, Song Ui Yong (Aqhari Abdullah 75), Christopher van Huizen (Amiruldin Asraf 15), Adam Swandi, Faris Ramli, Stipe Plazibat
- PHNOM PENH CROWN: Keo Soksela (Saveng Samnang 75), Ouk Sovann, Chhom Pisa, Boris Kok, Seut Baraing, Pov Ponvuthy, Choung Chanchav (Ouk Southy 46), Volodymyr Ordynskyi, Shane Booysen, Futa Nakamura, Brak Thiva (Keo Sokngon 46).
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