Monday May 13, 2013
KLHC-Tenaga showdown once again
By S. RAMAGURU
out of my way: Tenaga nasional’s Muhamad azammi adabi (centre) trying to dribble past Maybank’s Muhammad Irfan during their Malaysia Hockey League semi-finals at the national Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil Sunday. The match ended 2-2. — SHaaRI CHE MaT / The Star KUALA LUMUR: Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Tenaga Nasional will contest the final of the Premier Division overall title for the third year in a row.
Both teams scored runaway victories in the two-legged Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) semi-finals at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Tenaga Nasional drew 2-2 with Maybank in the return leg yesterday but qualified for the final with an 8-4 aggregate.
KLHC, 3-1 winners over Sapura in the first leg, went on a rampage yesterday to chalk up an 8-0 victory – and a 11-0 aggregate triumph.
KLHC have won the overall title for the last three years – defeating Sapura in 2010 and Tenaga Nasional in 2011 and 2012.
Tenaga last won the overall title in 2009 when they defeated Sapura.
Although KLHC held a two-goal advantage going into yesterday’s second leg, there was no letting up from the champions and they were far too superior for Sapura.
KLHC raced into a 4-0 first-half lead with goals from Akhtar Ali (13th), Chua Boon Huat (17th), Mohamed Umar Bhutta (23th) and Kelvinder Singh (30th).
The champions then notched another four goals after the break.
Earlier, Tenaga went into their game against Maybank with a four-goal cushion – after their 6-2 win in the first leg on Friday.
But it was Maybank who were the early aggressors. Unfortunately for the Tigers, it was Tenaga who drew first blood in the 17th minute when Faizal Saari slotted home from their first penalty corner with a drag flick to take his goal tally to 17.
Maybank equalised in the 50th minute through Shakeel Abassi but any hopes of a fightback ended when Tenaga regained the lead through Faiz Hemy eight minutes later.
Maybank, however, did not give up and made sure the second-leg match ended in a draw when Sulhairi Hashim equalised with a penalty corner goal in the 67th minute.
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