Persela Lamongan secured a narrow 1-0 away victory against Barito Putera at Stadion 17 Mei in Banjarmasin on October 4, 2026, extending their winning streak and clean sheet record in the Championship. The decisive blow came in the 79th minute when Dendy Sulistyawan headed home from a corner kick.
Barito Putera controlled much of the possession early on, pushing forward in front of their home supporters and creating numerous scoring opportunities. Despite dominating the run of play and unleashing 17 total shots—five of which hit the target—the hosts failed to capitalize on their dominance.
Dendy Sulistyawan Secures the Winner for Persela at Stadion 17 Mei
Following a corner kick delivered by Caique Souza, team captain Dendy Sulistyawan rose to meet the flight of the ball. His header eluded the defensive line and beat the home goalkeeper to break the deadlock.
That 79th-minute breakthrough rewarded Persela coach Bima Sakti for a disciplined tactical setup. Bima Sakti explained that his side intentionally absorbed early pressure before exploiting spaces left by the advancing home side.
Bima Sakti explained, Therefore, in the second half we pushed a bit more forward. Once we scored, we would definitely defend.
During the first half, Barito applied pressure through players like Wildan Ramdhani and Murilo Mendes, whose 18th-minute header from an Aditya Daffa cross narrowly missed the left post. Wildan thought he had scored in the 25th minute, but the referee disallowed the effort because Murilo Mendes had fouled goalkeeper Rafli Mahreza while chasing a cross from Kodai Nagashima. Barito’s persistence continued after the break when Rizky Rizaldi Pora entered the match and sent in a 57th-minute cross that Murilo Mendes headed toward goal. Persela nearly struck earlier when Dendy opted to shoot in the 71st minute despite two teammates standing in better positions, and Satria Tama later delivered a double save in the 78th minute by blocking Dendy’s initial effort and tipping away a long-range shot from Hendro Siswanto before the resulting corner led to the game’s lone goal.
Barito Putera Dismisses Hendri Susilo Following the Defeat
Management acted swiftly after the final whistle, deciding to part ways with head coach Hendri Susilo following an evaluation of the team’s opening four matches in the 2026/2027 Pegadaian Championship campaign. Owner Hasnuryadi Sulaiman noted that the leadership group reviewed the club’s trajectory up to the fourth week before making the change. The loss to Persela marked Barito’s second defeat in four outings, leaving the squad with four points in sixth place within their group.
Speaking after the match, Hendri Susilo pointed to familiar defensive lapses and missed chances as the root causes of the team’s struggles. He noted that defensive organization during late game moments remained a persistent flaw.
Only the problem is, with so many chances, we couldn't score, especially in the first half. Lamongan had only one or two chances, and they scored. Hendri
Prior to facing Persela, Barito opened their season schedule with a 3-2 victory over Persipura Jayapura, followed by a 3-2 loss to Deltras FC and a 2-2 draw against Kendal Tornado FC. Following the setback against Persela, club owner Hasnuryadi Sulaiman emphasized that Hendri Susilo remains part of the extended family despite the departure, stating that the former manager made lasting contributions to building the squad.
Persela Lamongan Extends Unbeaten Clean Sheet Run
The club has claimed four consecutive wins from its first four fixtures, accumulating 11 points to sit near the top of the standings. Most impressively, the team has yet to concede a single goal.
Ruy Arianto dedicated the three points to the supporters back in Lamongan, emphasizing that the squad treats every fixture as a final.
Bima Sakti said, To reach four matches without conceding a goal, I think this is extraordinary.
Before their triumph in Banjarmasin, Bima Sakti’s squad defeated Persis Solo 2-0, Persiba Balikpapan 1-0, and PSBS Biak with a commanding 6-0 scoreline. Operating under strict administrative conditions that included a one-point deduction at the start of the tournament, Laskar Joko Tingkir continues to pressure Deltras FC at the summit of Group B in the eastern region.
The team returns home to host Deltras FC on October 11, 2026. Meanwhile, Barito Putera faces a quick turnaround before welcoming Persiba Balikpapan on October 10
.