PULAPOL gate-crashed the Premier Division title race as leaders MBF Cards slipped up badly on Thursday with only a few games remaining for the title contenders.
An incredible 6-2 win over MBF, when they scored all six of their goals in the second half, enabled Pulapol to move up to third in the standings just two points behind their vanquished opponents and with a game in hand.
MBF collapsed like a deck of cards at the Pulapol ground in Jalan Semarak after taking a 1-0 half-time lead, leaving their coach Jeffry Mokhtar unable to explain his side's capitulation.
"We were leading at the break but then everything went wrong and we let in six goals in the second half," said Jeffry, who led Malaysian Assurance Alliance to the title last year, ruefully.
MBF's defeat opened the door not just to Pulapol but also let Maybank, RHB Bank and Ikram Rovers a way back into the title race.
This week's fixtures take on added importance starting tomorrow when RHB play lowly Felda United at the Hospital ground where a win will take them to of the table on goal difference.
On Tuesday, Pulapol will have a chance to go top when they face CIMB Bank at their home ground before a MBF and Army go head-to-head in a crucial tie on Wednesday when Ikram Rovers will also be in action against Public Service Commission.
MBF's fourth defeat in 12 matches sees them holding a slender one-point lead over Maybank -- 24 points to 23 -- with Pulapol lurking in third place on 22 points, followed by RHB and Ikram Rovers (both 21).
Last weekend, only Division Two matches were played and 4B Diamond became the second team in Group A after Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia to qualify for the playoffs.
A 5-1 thrashing of Fire and Rescue Department saw 4B Diamond clinch a spot in the quarter-finals and left Mardi, Risda and Felcra scrambling for the other two places.
The top four teams in Group B -- Petaling Putra, Federal Territory Chinese, Angkasapuri and Kesupen -- are all favoured to qualify as well with the sides closest to them, Immigration and Goldvalley, both five points adrift of fourth place.