Melaka head coach E. Elavarasan expressed frustration after his team suffered two late defeats in the Malaysia Super League, highlighting the need for swift improvements to avoid further setbacks. The Mousedeer lost 3-2 to Selangor on September 6 and were edged 2-1 by Kuching City on Saturday, both matches decided by goals conceded in the dying moments.

Elavarasan pointed to lapses in concentration during critical phases as a key issue. "We’re disappointed because we conceded a last-minute goal. This is the second time it has happened after the Selangor match. This is something we need to fix as quickly as possible if we want to go far in the league," he said.

Acknowledging the rising competitiveness of the league this season, the coach noted that securing points is becoming increasingly challenging. He described Kuching City as a team with significant quality and depth, suggesting that even a draw would have been a positive outcome given the opponent’s strength.

According to Elavarasan, Melaka lost their composure after equalizing against Kuching City, which proved costly. "When playing against a solid, experienced side, how you control the pressure is crucial. Once we got the equaliser, we should have focused more on our defence, especially in the closing minutes. Losing focus at the end was costly," he remarked.

Elavarasan also reflected on Melaka’s offensive efforts, describing them as overly rushed in their attempt to secure a winning goal. Although pleased with Do Dong-hyun’s set-piece delivery that led to their goal, he noted the difficulties faced in breaking down a well-organized Kuching defence. "We were rushing too much and were too frantic to score. Kuching organised their defence very well, making it hard for us to penetrate. We had to rely on individual abilities to draw fouls, and fortunately, Do executed the free-kick brilliantly after Sherman was fouled," he explained.

As the league prepares to enter a break, Elavarasan hopes to use the hiatus to regroup and strengthen his squad. "Any team will use these two or three weeks to prepare and improve, and we will do the same," he said. He added that playing against the league’s current top three sides has been valuable experience, though he lamented the points lost in the recent matches. "Dropping points against Selangor and Kuching late on feels like a huge waste. We are targeting more wins right after the break."

Currently, Melaka sits ninth in the standings with three points from four matches, having secured their sole victory in a 2-1 win over Negri Sembilan.