Sundram ready for old foes ATM

KUALA LUMPUR — Having met each other four times in less than two years, LionsXII head coach V Sundramoorthy knows what it takes to beat Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) FA.

The two sides meet today in the second-leg of their Malaysia Cup quarter-final clash at the Selayang Stadium, and lessons, and bitter ones too, have been learnt from last season’s semi-final defeat at the hands of the same opponents in the competition at the same stadium.

The LionsXII lost 6-5 on penalties in that semi-final which finished 2-2 on aggregate, and nearly a year on, Sundram insists he knows what to expect from B Sathianathan’s side as they take a slim, but vital 1-0 advantage from the first leg last week into tonight’s clash.

“We have learnt that against a good team like Armed Forces, every second counts. We learnt that you cannot afford to switch off until the final whistle is blown against a team like Armed Forces,” said the former Singapore international star.

“And we have learnt that their striker Marlon James is no ordinary striker but then, it’s expected of him to score goals. He is paid to do the job. And we have also learnt that we must be prepared for any eventuality, including the possibility of extra time and penalty kicks to settle the issue.”

The LionsXII got the better of ATM FA in both their Malaysian Super League meetings this year, winning 1-0 at Selayang and 3-1 at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

Still, Sundram and his coaching staff left no stone unturned during yesterday’s training session, although with crowds watching, they refrained from practising penalties in order not to give their game away.

Defender Madhu Mohana, who scored the winner in the first leg, was absent as he was on a night flight yesterday because of National Service commitments, while Sundram is hoping winger Faris Ramli, who is in Singapore due to NS commitments, could join them at the 11th hour.

The LionsXII were also boosted by news that centre-back Baihakki Khaizan has recovered sufficiently from a groin problem that he sustained in the first leg at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

“I believe the players have the desire to want to be in the semi-finals. That’s important in a match like this, which I expect to be close and evenly fought. And tactically, how we approach the match is important, too,” said Sundram.

Similarly, his opposite number Sathianathan is confident ATM FA can turn the tide in their favour because of their St Vincent and Grenadine forward Marlon James.

“Very rarely has Marlon not scored in three consecutive matches. He did not score in our two previous matches and that’s why I think he is ready to score again. When Marlon scores, it gives the team a real lift,” said Sathianathan.

“But then, it will also be a different ball game tonight as compared to the first leg in Singapore. Our performance in the last 20 minutes of that match tells us that we can match the LionsXII stride for stride. Now we are back on familiar territory and I have an injury-free squad to choose from. Surely, things will be different this time.”

Probable LionsXII line-up: Izwan Mahbud; Baihakki Khaizan, Safuwan Baharudin, Madhu Mohana, Faritz Hameed; Hafiz Sujad, Hariss Harun, Shakir Hamzah, Aqhari Abdullah; Shahril Ishak, Shafiq Ghani.

TV Times: ATM FA vs LionsXII (Starhub Ch201, 8.30pm)