Circuit 5 Round-up
The top three all kept up their momentum, Selangor kept up their 100% record, JDT won both their games while Pahang Rangers also kept alive their title chase.
Circuit 5 brought no change at the summit but a shake-up just below it, as Selangor extended their unbeaten record to nine matches while Johor Darul Ta'zim leapfrogged Pahang Rangers into second place.
Edgar Baldasso's side remain the division's benchmark, following up a 7-2 win over KL City with a 9-1 victory over Wipers. Marlon and Evandro Borges were both among the goals again, and Selangor sit top with 27 points from nine, a goal difference of plus 56 underlining their dominance.
Behind them, the battle for second changed hands. Joao Almeida's Johor Darul Ta'zim side delivered the result of the circuit, a 17-0 demolition of Wipers with Awalludin Mat Nawi among five different scorers, then followed it with a 5-2 win over USM through Mahadir Harahap and Ekmal Shahrin. That double header, with Pahang Rangers idle for the round, was enough to move JDT above Eloy Alonso's men into second, both level on 22 points but JDT ahead on goal difference. Pahang Rangers' only outing came in a 6-1 win over ATM, De Souza and Rodrigo Da Silva sharing the goals, and they remain unbeaten in the circuit despite the drop to third.
KL City held stubbornly to fourth, losing to Selangor before responding with a 7-2 win over PFA Odin in which Dinesh Kumar, Daniel Almeida and Dodie Al Fareq all found the net. Terengganu were the circuit's big movers, Alif Mat Amin's double edging out ATM 5-3 and lifting Mohd Shafily Bin Jusoh's side above their opponents into fifth. ATM slipped to sixth after back-to-back defeats, Imran Samsudin's goals in both matches offering little consolation.
USM had a mixed circuit, edging PFA Odin 4-3 through an Eikmal Daniel brace, including a late penalty, before falling 5-2 to JDT despite Danial Zhafirul's double. They stay seventh. PFA Odin's own defeats in both matches leave Mohd Faizal Bin Zamri's side eighth, still above the bottom side on points alone.
There was no respite for Wipers, who shipped 17 without reply against JDT before Riffat Razique's consolation could not prevent a 9-1 defeat to Selangor. Mohd Ruzaley Abdul Aziz's side remain rooted to the foot of the table without a point from nine matches, their goal difference now a startling minus 85.
With Circuit 6 to come, Selangor's perfect record and JDT's newfound edge over Pahang Rangers set up an intriguing fight for the title, while at the other end Wipers face an uphill task to get off the mark.
