KUALA LUMPUR: A two-goal deficit against Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) usually signals the end of the road for most opponents, but Brunei DPMM head coach Jamie McAllister insists the Southern Tigers were rattled during their 2-0 FA Cup semi-final first-leg clash at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.
Speaking after the loss on Friday, McAllister praised his side for going toe-to-toe with the reigning champions, arguing that DPMM created enough openings to flip the script and forced JDT into a half-time tactical reshuffle.
"How do I feel about the team? I'm very proud of the players and the performance they put in," McAllister said.
"I thought we matched a very good team and restricted them to very few chances. We had five or six really good chances ourselves, the Welsh header, Jordan (Murray) in the first half, Jordan's header, and two at the end."
The intense competition also spilled over into the technical areas, with McAllister revealing he exchanged words with the JDT bench after they vociferously appealed for a penalty.
"They were screaming for a handball," he said.
"I mean, come on, let the referee do his job. Sit down, you're on the bench, just relax. But that's emotion in the game. That's football, isn't it? It's all about emotion."
However, the JDT camp offered an entirely different perspective, demonstrating the mindset that separates the champions from the rest of the region.
When asked if taking a 2-0 away cushion back to Iskandar Puteri was comfortable enough to seal their passage to the final, JDT head coach Xisco Munoz laughed off the suggestion.
"Never is enough if you are in JDT!" Munoz said.
"Tonight was a positive night for us. An important clean sheet, because it is always important when we are playing (Asian) Champions League Elite games. We need to have the balance in offensive and defensive phases, and the team was in a good way tonight."
JDT took the lead through Bergson da Silva in the 21st minute before Eddy Israfilov doubled their advantage in the 72nd, giving the visitors a 2-0 win and a valuable cushion ahead of the second leg.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd