The LionsXII's Malaysian Super League (MSL) campaign ended on a losing note when they were defeated 0-2 by the Malaysian FA Cup holders Kelantan in Kota Baru.

Coach V. Sundramoorthy, fresh from guiding the Singapore side to the MSL title, opted to field his second-string side to protect the 16-match unbeaten run that stretched back to January.

While his reserves played competently and threatened the hosts with their incisive passing and movement, Kelantan grabbed the points courtesy of two lapses in concentration from the newly-crowned league champions.

Goalkeeper Khairulhin Khalid misjudged a sixth-minute corner from midfielder Badhri Radzi as the ball took a wicked swerve in the air and went straight into the net.

Striker Shahfiq Ghani nearly equalised for the LionsXII but his 30-metre free-kick smacked against the crossbar.

In the 58th minute, Nigerian striker Dickson Nwakaeme sneaked pass a static backline to latch on to Badhri's quickly-taken free-kick and blasted a left-footed shot into the bottom corner to secure the win.

With the victory, Kelantan finished fourth in the 12-team MSL with 36 points from 22 games, two points ahead of Malaysian military side ATM. The LionsXII are champions with 43 points, three points ahead of second-placed Selangor.