Monday February 18, 2013

City boys end fairy-tale run of MSSK

By S. RAMAGURU

Jubilation: KL Sports School team players celebrate after their 2-1 win over MSS Kelantan 2-1 in the final Sunday. — M. AZHAR ARIF / The Star.

DIVISION TWO RESULTS
FINAL: MSS Kelantan 1 Kuala Lumpur Sports School 2
THIRD PLACING: Politeknik KPT 4 Anderson Juniors 1

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur Sports School ended MSS Kelantan’s (MSSK) fairy-tale run with a 2-1 victory in the final to lift the Division Two title of the MHF-MILO-NSC Junior Hockey League at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

Kelantan, a surprise finalists, were the early aggressors and took the lead in the 14th minute only to see a hard fighting KL side equalised five minutes later from a penalty stroke. They then notched the winning goal in the 37th minute to take home RM12,000 while Kelantan went back with RM8,500.

Both teams have already secured a place in the knockout stage and also ensured promotion to the higher division next year.

The draw for the knockout quarter-final stage will be held today with the top six finishers from Division One in the fray. The first leg quarter-final matches will be held on Friday.

Kelantan team manager Wan Noor Zuhari felt that the penalty stroke was unwarranted and it gave the KL team the edge in the encounter.

“I don’t know why the stroke was given but it affected us as we lost our one-goal lead. Still my boys tried very hard and we had ample chances to come back.

“We will go back and reflect on the defeat and come back for the quarter-final match on Friday. It will be a long journey home,” he said.

It was Kelantan who took the lead in the 14th minute off a field attempt taken by Mohamed Fitri Zaidi.

But the KL side kept up their attacks and five minutes later managed to earn a penalty stroke for an infringement in the semi-circle. Mohamed Firdaus Muzairi converted the stroke to level the score.

After the equaliser, the east coast side became a little over-robust. Noor Afiq and Wan Haziq Hisyamuddin were green and yellow carded in the 32nd and 33rd minutes respectively.

The cards didn’t end there. In the 42nd minute a scuffle between KL and Kelantan skippers Zul Pidaus and Mohamed Isharuddin saw both being yellow carded.

The City side then went ahead in the 37th minute when Jagveen Singh managed to slot home a field goal.

The Kelantan team pressed hard for an equaliser and came close a couple of times but KL goalkeeper Mohamed Shafie Sharom kept them at bay.

In an earlier match for third placing, Politeknik-KPT defeated Anderson Juniors 4-1 to earn the RM7,000 prize money while Anderson picked up RM6,000 for finishing fourth.

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