MSL12: Terengganu VS SARAWAK, 11 April 2014

At the midpoint of the season, Terengganu sit perfectly poised in third place, only two points off the top with a game in hand.  But as the business end of the season approaches, they will know that games like the home tie against strugglers Sarawak are ones in which they must pick up maximum points in order to keep the pressure of those around them, namely Selangor and Pahang.

So far this season the Turtles have found goals hard to come by from their import strikers, with Márcio Souza and Mamadou Barry only combining for three league goals between them.  It is because of this that they signed the Senegalese forward Moustapha Dabo from Turkish Kahramanmarasspor, and he hit the ground running with a strike in the 3-1 victory at Sarawak last weekend.  He will soon be partnered by the towering Colombian forward Javier Andres, signed from Honduran club Parrillas One, in a combination that they hope will fire them all the way to the league title.  He is expected to make his debut next weekend versus Perak, with this game coming too soon for him.

The Crocs of Sarawak will have their work cut out from them in getting anything from Kuala Terengganu.  While the hosts are unbeaten in their five home games so far, Sarawak have only picked up four points out of a possible 15 on the road, however a point last time out at Johor Darul Ta'zim will give them hope that they can get something at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium.

While Terengganu are unbeaten in three, the Crocs are winless in four games, with their last victory coming almost a month ago versus Lions XII.  Head coach Robert Alberts has had little to cheer about, however the form of Suppiah Chanturu has been one bright spot in an otherwise poor spell.  He has three goals in his last five and his form will be vital in getting at a miserly Terengganu defence who have only conceded seven goals so far.

There have been suggestions that Alberts may alter his starting line-up in order to reverse their poor form, with fit again defensive midfielder Dzulazlan Ibrahim and defender Sharol Saperi two possibly players to come into the side.  Whether local player, and talisman, Joseph Kalang Tie will remain in the starting 11 is another issue for the head coach to ponder, he has just one strike in 11 games so far and has failed to display the blistering form of last season. One player certain to feature is defender Gabor Gyepes, he served a one match suspension last week and will look to solidify the Crocs defence.