The referee was forced to halt proceedings twice before half-time after first, the floodlights went off, and then when visiting goalkeeper Hyrulnizam Jumaat apparently complained of lasers aimed at him.
Towards the end of the game, with Sarawak coach Robert Alberts ranting at the officials from the sidelines, the home side hit the LionsXII hard with some ugly tackles.
But throughout a tense and drama-filled Malaysian Super League (MSL) encounter in Kuching last night, the LionsXII mostly kept their cool and were rewarded with a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Sarawak.
Terengganu's 6-3 thumping of Sabah saw them overtake the LionsXII into second spot in the MSL standings on goal difference - both teams remain three points behind leaders Kelantan - but it will not matter one bit to V Sundramoorthy and his boys.
There were some ugly scenes after the game, with a ball thrown at the referee Suhaimi Hassan by one of the Sarawak players amidst some jostling and shoving.
Alberts was visibly upset and complained about the officials' decisions, but in the end, the LionsXII victory was richly deserved, after they also hit the crossbar twice through the impressive Madhu Mohana and Hariss Harun in an action-packed first-half.
A moment of madness by Sarawak defender Yosri Derma Raju in the 71st minute when he inexplicably handled the ball gave referee Suhaimi no choice but to award the visitors a penalty, and LionsXII captain Shahril Ishak stepped up to dispatch the spot kick powerfully into the top corner.
Centre-back Safuwan Baharudin had this to say, "This was a very important win, both for us and the small group of fans who have travelled to watch us. We're sincerely taken by their support and are really appreciative of it."
| # | Team | M. | V | P | D | goals | Dif | Pt. | |
| 1 |  | Kelantan FA | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 18:7 | 11 | 23 |
| 2 |  | Terengganu FA | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 17:9 | 8 | 20 |
| 3 |  | Singapore Lions XII | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 14:8 | 6 | 20 |
| 4 |  | PBDKT T-Team FC | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 18:7 | 11 | 19 |
| 5 |  | Perak FA | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 11:12 | -1 | 16 |
| 6 |  | Selangor FA | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 11:9 | 2 | 15 |
| 7 |  | Negeri Sembilan FA | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 15:14 | 1 | 15 |
| 8 |  | Sabah FA | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 13:15 | -2 | 13 |
| 9 | | PKNS FC | 10 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 11:10 | 1 | 11 |
| 10 |  | Sarawak FA | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10:11 | -1 | 11 |
| 11 |  | Johor FC | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12:15 | -3 | 10 |
| 12 |  | Kedah FA | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7:14 | -7 | 10 |
| 13 | | Felda United FC | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7:15 | -8 | 8 |
| 14 |  | Kuala Lumpur FA | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2:20 | -18 | 1 |
| AFC Cup | |
| Relegation |
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