RAZIE STRIKES TWICE TO KEEP KLHC IN ‘COMFORT ZONE’

Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) scored a resounding 4-1 win over Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) in the second-leg of the TNBMHL 2015 Premier Division match at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

Pakistan’s Ali Shan gave KLHC the lead with a fourth minute field goal, beating goalkeeper Kairulnizam Ibrahim with a powerful close-range reverse stick shot, only for Ireland’s Richard Sykes to equalise 21 minutes later through a penalty corner.

Coach K. Dharmaraj’s side, better known for their come-from-behind brand of hockey to claim victory in most matches, did it once again.

Muhammad Noor Faeez than made it 2-1 off a penalty corner(48th) and skipper Muhammad Razie Abdul Rahim scored twice in the last 10 minutes of play - via a penalty stroke (51st) and a penalty corner just under a minute later to seal an emphatic victory for KLHC.

The four-time champions secured top spot with 22 points – one clear of THT following this win. For the record, KLHC defeated basement side UniKL 1-0 in the first-leg match played on August 9 at the same venue.

In Kuala Terengganu, Faizal Saari scored two goals to light up the night for double champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) against TenagaNasionalBerhad at the Batu Buruk Hockey Stadium.

Backed by home fans, the Malaysian international lifted THT with a seventh minute strike in the run of play and successfully converted a penalty stroke in the 39th minute to give THT a 2-0 lead before Muhamad Ramadan Rosli pulled one back for TNB in the 49th minute from a field goal.

The road to the Premier Division title now seems once again an open battle between KLHC and THT and is likely to be decided on September 4 in Kuala Terengganu when the two top guns go into showdown after four other contenders – Sapura, TNB, Mayba

nk and UniKL failed to live up to the expectations.

“The pressure was far more on us to win today’s match than it was on UniKL. They had nothing to lose except derail our plans to stay on top. If we had fumbled today’s match the pressure would have been far higher on us against Sapura on Sunday (tomorrow),” said Dharmaraj.

“We had a great start to take the lead and I must admit that to score three goals in the last quarter of the match certainly took the pressure off us instantly. The players kept mounting the attacks and this is what we had emphasized all along. It’s not over until the final whistle.”

UniKL head coach Arul Selvaraj, said: “Basically it boils down to the level of confidence. There was so much lacking in this aspect today and it is something we have been talking to the players.

“Instead of gaining the upper hand by expanding the lead after the 1-1 draw at the interval, they were worried of holding on to the draw and this allows KLHC to hit three goals in the late stage.”

Sapura down Maybank once again

Sapura Hockey Club squeezed out a 3-2 win over Maybank in the second-leg of the TNBMHL Premier Division match at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

Norsyafiq Sumantri opened accounts for Sapura just two minutes into the game with a field goal – his third in the league before Maybank equalised through Muhammad Hafiz Zainol in the 41st minute.

Tai Beng Hai’s Sapura, who finished fifth in the six-team Premier Division last season, than shot ahead 2-1 from Muhammad Zulhairi Hashim’s penalty corner seconds after the Maybank equaliser.

Maybank and Pakistan’s national team goalkeeper Imran Butt was once again beaten in the 50th minute as Azreen Rizal Nasirs neaked through a field goal to extend Sapura’s lead in the 50th minute.

Maybank, however, kept the heat on Sapura and were rewarded two minutes later with a penalty corner goal from Ahmad Kazamirul Nasruddin to close the gap at 3-2 but one that came too late.

It was Sapura’s second win over Maybank in the league after posting a 2-1 victory in the first leg.

Sapura’s head coach, Tai Beng Hai, said: “Basically we are happy to maintain our third position in the league ahead of TNB with this win and will continue this momentum.

“It is always tough playing Maybank as they are a good side. They came back to close the gap at 3-2 in the late stage and that has always been their strength. We are happy to win three points today,” he added.

Beng Hai’s Sapura, who finished fifth in the six-team Premier Division last season, maintained third spot in the table standings with 13 points following this win. However, hot on their heels isTenaga Nasional Berhad on nine points after seven matches.

TNB face double champions Terengganu Hockey Team at the Batu Buruk Stadium in Kuala Terengganu tomorrow while at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium, table leaders Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club go into action against basement side Universiti Kuala Lumpur.

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Tough day for THT, KLHC and Maybank

Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) turned on the heat in the third quarter to subdue Sapura HC 5-2 in the return leg of the TNBMHL 2015 Premier Division match at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.

In the first leg, THT won by a solitary goal scored by Azlan Misron at the Batu Buruk Stadium in Kuala Terengganu.

In other matches, four-time champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) pounced back to defeat Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) 2-1 with penalty corner drag-flick specialist Razie Rahim scoring both goals (13th and 36th) after Mohd Amin Rahim had given TNB an 11th minute lead with a field goal.

Maybank also came back from a 2-1 deficit to upstage Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) 3-2 in this second round match. Jethro Ray Eustice put UniKL 1-0 up with a 17th minute goal but Maybank pulled back through Pakistan’s Shafqat Rasool (22nd, PC) before UniKL’s Nazmi Farizal Jazlan put his side 2-1 ahead with a penalty corner goal in the 30th minute.

But it was the sheer perseverance of Maybank that saw them pulling off this victory with two late penalty corner goals - Ahmad Kazamirul Nasruddin made it count in the 56th minute and Muhammad Waqas fired home a minute later.

Both teams, however, will only play their revised first leg match on September 2. The match was earlier scheduled on Aug 14 but was washed away by heavy rain after seven minute of play.

Muhammad Fitri Saari opened scoring for THT after just five minutes of play from a penalty corner goal, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin added the second in the 23rd minute from a field goal and Ismail Abu made it 3-0 at the stroke of first half from a penalty corner to give THT a comfortable lead at the interval.

Sapura, however, clawed back with two goals from their Pakistan connection to stay in touch with the east coast giants. Khasif Ali scored from a 41st minute penalty stroke and Muhammad Imran closed the gap at 3-2 via a penalty corner two minutes later.

However, a defensive error by Sapura in the 44th minute after making a gigantic push to narrow the gap allowed THT to go ahead 4-2, thanks to Faizal Saari’s quick work in front of the goalmouth while team captain Shahrun Nabil Abdullah knocked home the fifth goal with just a minute of play left.

KLHC go top with 19 points with double champions THT one point behind on 18 points while Sapura’s chances of making a top-two finish evaporated with this latest defeat – their third in seven matches.

Following this victory, THT coach, Sarjit Singh, said: “This was the most crucial match and we got three points. Our next three matches will be played at the Batu Buruk Stadium in Kuala Terengganu and we are excited. All we need is to win nine more points and stand a very good chance of a great shot at the title once again.”

He added that Sapura are just like any other teams in the league that is hard to beat.

“They played well in the second and third quarters with several penalty corner opportunities and were unfortunate not to convert them. We have put this game behind us and are focused on our last three remaining matches,” he added.

THT play TNB (Aug 28), Maybank (Aug 30) and four-time champions KLHC (Sept 3) in the return leg matches in Kuala Terengganu.

Meanwhile, Sapura head coach, Tai Beng Hai, added that generally they had a good game but were unlucky not to convert the chances that came their way.

“We picked up slowly and gave THT a good fight. They are a good side and I guess we will just continue to play to our level best and hope to finish third or fourth in the league,” he added.

Maybank fail to break KLHC domination once again

Maybank once again failed to break Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club’s (KLHC) domination as the four-time champions registered a 2-1 win in the second round of the TNBMHL Premier Division match at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.

In the first round of the league, KLHC defeated Maybank 3-1.

Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) continued to close the gap with KLHC at the top of the table standings with a 3-0 win over Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) at the adjacent pitch. National forward Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin struck home a sixth minute field goal while siblings Fitri Saari (42nd) and Faizal (45th) added to UniKL’s misery with two field goals.

THT had in the first round clawed back from a 2-1 deficit to pull away victory by 4-2 against UniKL at the Batu Buruk Hockey Stadium in Kuala Terengganu.

It was Maybank who dictated terms against KLHC by taking a 36th minute lead through Muhammad Toseef who pounced on an Ahmad Kazamirul Nasruddin long shot into the penalty box, leaving goalkeeper Shahrul Azaddin with no chance at all.

KLHC, however, equalised just under a minute later from a field goal after Muhammad Shamim Yusof deflected the ball past Pakistan’s national team goalkeeper Muhammad Irfan Butt.

The 2010-2013 champions shot 2-1 ahead in the 42nd minute from a penalty corner. Drag-flick specialist Muhammad Razie Rahim gave his best shot but this was thwarted by Irfan Butt only for Ali Hassan to pick it from a rebound to give KLHC their fifth win in six matches so far.

KLHC head coach, K. Dharmaraj, said: “We expect the game to be close and we know Maybank have the ability of playing good hockey and capable of creating an upset. They have nothing to lose and are chasing for their first win and three points.”

Maybank coach, S. Vellapan, was least disappointed by yet another defeat in the league and applauded his players for putting up a great effort against KLHC.

“My players played well today. We had good ball possession and had our chances at the goal but we made some unforced errors and will need to check on this in our next match against UniKL on Sunday,” said Vellapan, adding that the rained-off first round match against UniKL has been rescheduled to be played on September 2.

Meanwhile, TNB showed great determination to edge Sapura 2-1 at the National Hockey Stadium, a reverse of result that saw Sapura winning the first round match by the same margin.

Muhammad Aminuddin Mohd Zaid kept TNB infront with a fourth minute penalty corner goal but Sapura level the score 1-1 through Pakistan’s Muhammad Azfar Yaqoob off a field goal in the 36th minute.

TNB, an all-local outfit, found the winning goal through Muhammad Amin Rahim from a 45th minute penalty corner to give his side their third win in six matches.

THT survive early scare; Sapura back on winning ways

Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin scored two goals as Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) rallied back to beat Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) 4-2 in the TNBMHL 2015 Premier Division match at the Batu Buruk Hockey Stadium in Kuala Terengganu today.

The double champions were down 1-0- by an 11th minute Sufi Ismat field goal but national forward Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin equalized for THT in the 22nd minute from a penalty corner.

UniKL, who have been rather unlucky in their last three matches before closing their proceedings on the losing end, went ahead 2-1 by the 30th minute through Rafizul Ezry field goal but Fitri Saari drew level 2-2 for THT two minutes later off a field goal.

Another goal by Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (37th) off a penalty corner and Ismail Abu’s attempt in the closing stages sealed THT’s unblemished home ground record.

Elsewhere, Sapura rolled back on track and continued their winning ways once again following a 2-1 victory over TenagaNasionalBerhad (TNB) while Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) defeated Maybank3-1for their third win in four matches.

Drag-flick specialist Razie Abdul Rahim kept his side on top with a 13th minute penalty corner goal and Nabil Fiqri extended it 2-0 from a penalty corner set piece three minutes later. Maybank pulled one back through Muhammad Irfan in the 33rd minute, also from a penalty corner.

Four-time champions KLHC, however, had the final say with Rashid Baharom scoring the third in the 56th minute off a field goal - his sixth goal in the tournament.

THT coach, Sarjit Singh, said:“The opposition is getting stronger and better. Each time they come here and play against us they give 200 percent. It is getting tougher for us. It is not easy coming back when you are down and I am very excited with today’s win.”

He added that the margins of victory or defeats in most games arevery narrow and thus Premier Division matches are getting harder by the day.

“It is certainly not going to be any easier for THT from now on. We are only looking at three points and as I said before every team havegood foreign signings. THT is only looking at three points in our coming matches and we will see where we go from there,” added Sarjit.

Sapura took the field without Pakistan’s Khasif Ali and Muhammad Imran who are nursing injuries and were back paddling by the third minute.

The all-local outfit TNB side went ahead with a Muhammad Aminuddin Mohd Zaid penalty corner before Sapura’s Mohamed Zulhairi Hashim made it 1-1 from a penalty corner in the 48thminute and Faridzul Afiq scored the winner five minutes before the end from a field goal.

“Today the boys played well. We came back from a goal down to win. It is important that we continue our winning form and grab three points to close the gap with the top teams,” said Sapura coach Tai Beng Hai, adding that the players had recovered quickly from the long journey back home from Kuala Terengganu after the 1-0- defeat against THT on Friday.

KLHC continue to lead the table standings with 13 points – one clear of THT while Sapura, the only team so far to hold KLHC to a 3-3 draw, is three points behind the leader.

TNB are lying in fourth position with six points while UniKL and Maybank are at the base with no wins as to date.

RESULTS – Premier Division: Terengganu Hockey Team 4Universiti Kuala Lumpur2; Sapura 2 TenagaNasionalBerhad1; Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 3Maybank1.

Division 1A: MBI 3 MSP-YP-SSP 1; MASUM-USM 3 MSNT/PHT 1; Division 1B: UniKL Young Guns 2 UITM 2; NurInsafi3 SSTMI 2; Politeknik Malaysia 3 PKS-KPM 0; ATM Airod 1 UniKL Young Guns 0.

Women’s Group A: ATM Pernama5 Politeknik Malaysia 1; The Cops 3 MSNT/PHT 0; Group B: PKS-KPM 4 UITM Lions 0; SSTMI Thunderbolt 5Manjung HA 1.

KLHC bounce back to foil TNB’s plans

Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club continued their unbeaten run with a 3-1 demolition of Tenaga National Berhad in the TNBMHL 2015 Premier League match at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.

It was TNB who scored first through Muhammad Shahril Saabah off a penalty corner in the 25th minute but Pakistan’s Ali Shan leveled for KLHC five minutes later from a field goal and Rashid Baharom increased the lead to 2-1 with a 47th minute field goal. Muhammad Umar Bhutta scored the third for KLHC a minute later off a penalty corner.

As for TNB, their game plan once again ditched into muddy waters after suffering a crushing 5-0 defeat against THT last week despite making steady progress–winning 2-1 against Maybank and pulverising Universiti Kuala Lumpur 3-2 in the league’s second match.

In Kuala Terengganu, double champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) edged Sapura 1-0, thanks to a 39th minute penalty corner set piece goal from AzlanMisron.

KLHC have now stretched their lead to 10 points at the top of the six-team league followed by THT on nine points and Sapura third with seven points. The match betweenUniversiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and Maybank which was briefly played on Thursday before rain washed it away will be decided at a later date.

“Sapura played very well. When we got the 1-0 lead we just held onto it and I must say our defenders came under tremendous pressure and did well to hold on Sapura’s challenge,” said THT coach Sarjit Singh.

“But I must say that every game from now is going to be very important. We must win three points.The score does not matter. We just have to focus on all our remaining matches and win three points.”

He added that Maybank, Sapura and KLHChave very good foreign signings this year unlike last season which makes the league far more entertaining and exciting.

“So it’s going to be a very tough league compared to last year. Even the National Juniors are playing very well and I believe as the league progresses we are going to witness exciting matches” added Sarjit.

Results - Premier Division: Terengganu Hockey Team 1 Sapura 0; KLHC 3 TNB 1.

Division 1A:BJSS 4 MSP-YP-SSP 3.

Division 1B:PKS-KPM 1 SSTMI 0; NurInsafi 2 Politeknik Malaysia 1; UITM 3 ATM Airod1.

Women’s Group A: Penang Juniors 1MSNT/PHT 1; The Cops 2 Politeknik Malaysia1; Group B: KL SUKMA 4Manjung HA 0.

Fixtures – Saturday (15 Aug) - Division 1B: UniKL Young Guns v UITM (National Hockey Stadium, 5.0pm); SSTMI v NurInsafi (Taman Daya 2, 5.0pm), Politeknik Malaysia v PKS-KPM (Taman Daya 1, 7.0pm).

Women’s Group A:Politeknik Malaysia v ATM Pernama (MBMB Ground, 5.0pm).

Sunday (16 Aug):Premier Division: THT v UNiKL (BatuBuruk Stadium, 5.0pm); Sapura v TNB (6.0pm); Maybank v KLHC (8.0pm); both matches to be played at National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil.

Division 1A: MBI v MSP-YP-SSP (Azlan Shah Stadium, 5.0pm); MSNT/PHT v MASUM-USM (SMKPM Stadium, 5.0pm).

Women’s Group B:PKS-KPM (National Hockey Stadium, 5.0pm); SSTMI Thunderbolt v MSN Kedah (Taman Daya 1, 7.0pm).

Butt dazzles but Sapura continue to win

Maybank and Pakistan national hockey team goalkeeper Imran Butt gave a sterling performance but failed to thwart Sapura from pulling away a 2-1 win in the TNBMHL Premier Division match at the National Hockey Stadium yesterday.

Mohamad Syafiq Mohamed Zain gave Maybank an early lead with a ninth minute field goal but Sapura, who had defeated Tenaga Nasional Berhad 2-1 and held Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) to a 3-3 draw last Friday, replied through Dangerous Lee Mathew (38th) and Pakistan’s forward Abdul Haseem Khan (54th) off a penalty corner.

Butt was instrumental in keeping Sapura’s forwards at bay especially Faiz Helmi, Joel Samuel Van Huisen, captain Muhammad Marman Jalil and Pakistanis Khasif Ali, Muhamad Imran and Haseem Khan from making count most of the opportunities that came their way.

Double champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) also emerged victors today. THT trounced TNB 5-0 with goals from Ismail Abu (6th), Firhan Ashari (15th), Faizal Saari (45th (FG), 48th, PC) and Argentinean Jose Leandro Tolini (59th), while KLHC’s Muhammad Nur Faeez’s26th minute penalty corner goal sank Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) to their third defeat.

Sapura coach, Tai Beng Hai, said: “It has always been difficult playing Maybank. It was a good match and we had to fight for the winning goal which came towards the end of the game. I must credit Imran (Maybank goalkeeper) for stopping us. He is a very experienced goalkeeper and if it was not for his performance we could have scored more goals.”

“I must say we are playing consistently well in this early part of the season and we must continue with this momentum against Terengganu Hockey Team in Kuala Terengganu in our next game on 14th August,” he added.

KLHC share seven equal points with Sapura but lead the table standings on superior goal difference while THT are third on six points followed by TNB (6 points). Universiti Kuala Lumpur and Maybank are reeling at the bottom with no points.

Maybank coach, S. Vellapan, said it has been the same story line by his players who failed to sustain the momentum going into the final quarter of the match.

“We took the lead but failed to make use of the chances that we had. This is our third defeat and we must bounce back in our remaining first round matches. We have conceded nine goals and scored six so it’s not that we don’t have the strike force but winning is what matters at the end of the day,” added Vellapan.

Maybank’snext match is against UniKL on Friday while KLHC go up against TNBat the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

Results – Premier Division:Sapura 2 Maybank1; KLHC 1 UniKL 0; Terengganu Hockey Team 5TenagaNasionalBerhad0.

Division 1A:BJSS 2 MBI 1; TNB Thunderbolt 0 MSNT/PHT 0(match abandoned due to rain); 

Division 1B:UniKL Young Guns 1 SSTMI 1; PKS-KPM 5 ATM Airod 4; UITM 2 Politeknik Malaysia 1.

Women’s Group A:Politeknik Malaysia 2 MSNT/PHT 1; UITM Lions 3 Manjung HA 0.

TNB stage late comeback to dash UniKL hopes

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) staged a dramatic comeback to down Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) 3-2 in the TNBMHL 2015 Premier Division match at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil last friday.

It was TNB’s second straight win following last week’s 2-1 victory over Maybank to go top of the six-team table standings with six points.

Double champions Terengganu Hockey Team, who suffered a humiliating 6-2 drubbing by Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in the Charity Shield, also bounced back to defeat Maybank 5-1 with a hat-trick from Faizal Saari (ninth, 28th and 39th), Jose Leandro Tolini (41st, PC) and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (42nd, FG) while Muhammad Amerullah Abd Aziz replied for Maybank (37th).

In the last match of the day, a rejuvenated Sapura packed enough power to hold KLHC to a 3-3 draw at the adjacent National Hockey Stadium pitch.

Sapura opened accounts in the 3rd minute through Norsyafiq Sumantri but KLHC drew level in the 14th minute from a Razie Rahim field goal. Sapura, however, took a 2-1 lead just one minute later through Muhammad Imran (PC) but KLHC clawed back to level score at 2-2 through Rashid Baharom’s field goal (19th).

KLHC, however, went on to take the lead for the first time through Pakistani Muhammad Umar Bhutta (37th) but the jubilation was short-lived when Faridzul Afiq latched on a loose ball to nail the equalizer in the 48th minute from a field goal.

With the experience of Haziq Samsul, Baljit Singh, Izwan Firdaus and Meor Azuan who featured in the World League Semi-finals in Antwerp and foreign signings Richard Sykes, Patrick Neil Schultz and Jethro Ray Eustice together with 10 players from the Project 2016 squad, UniKL were poised to provide a strong challenge to the all-local outfit team of TNB.

The match was expected to draw fireworks from both sides and it was UniKL who suffered a 2-1 defeat against Sapura in the season’s opening match last Sunday that were drawn by the early inspiration to take a first minute lead through Muhammad Najmi Farizal off a penalty corner, beating an outstretched goalkeeper S. Kumar.

Arul Selvaraj’s UniKL had a better control of the game for the first quarter but it was wasn’t smooth sailing beyond that for UniKL as TNB made several breakthroughs.

Their perseverance paid dividend in the 27th minute when they earned a penalty corner and Muhammad Shahril Saabah placed it neatly past goalkeeper Khairulnizam Ibrahim to level score 1-1.

UniKL, however, threw all they had in the third quarter to extend the lead to 2-1 in the 41st minute through Mohd Nor Aqmal Abdul Ghafar as he fired home from close range after picking a rebound when the ball struck match umpire Iskandar Rashdan below the knee from a long clearance.

But TNB were back on top of their opponents in the final quarter through two field goals - midfielder Azril Misron (57th) and Muhamad Ramadan (58th) which ended UniKL’s hopes of winning their first match.

TNB assistant coach, M. Kaliswaran, said: “I am very happy with this win. Despite being the only team with no foreign signings, I am proud to say the boys played well in the last two matches. They are young and displayed great determination today to get back into the game after going 2-1 down. The result speaks volume of our commitment.”

Arul, meanwhile, laments the defeat to poor mental strength and tiredness after the third quarter which saw TNB mount a strong comeback.

“It boils down to accountability and responsibility. It was a good game from the players. We had the match in control in the first quarter and eased off in the second but they were tired by the end of the third quarter and this allowed TNB to score the winning goals,” said Arul.

Arul, however, was pleased to note that all 16 players from the Project 2016 squad – 10 from UniKL and six from TNB played exceptionally well against senior players.

Results – Premier Division: Tenaga Nasional Berhad 3 Universiti Kuala Lumpur 2; Terengganu Hockey Team 5 Maybank 1; Sapura 3 Kuala Lumpur HC 3.

Men’s Division 1A: TNB Thunderbolt 2 MSP-YP-SSP 0; Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh 1 MSNT/THT 0; Division 1B: PKS-KPM 4 Nur Insafi 4.

Women’s Group A: ATM Pernama 1 The Cops 0; Politeknik Malaysia 2 Penang Juniors 0; Group B: PKS-KPM 3 MSN Kedah 1.

Fixtures – Tomorrow: Men’s Div 1A: MASUM USM v BJSS (KLHA Stadium, 5.0), UniKL Young Guns v Politeknik Malaysia (National Hockey Stadium, 5.0); Div 1B: UITM v SSTMI (National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil, 7.0), ATM Airod v Nur Insafi (Stadium Tun Razak, 5.0).

Women’s Group B: SSTMI Thunderbolts v KL SUKMA (Taman Daya, JB, 5.0), Manjung HA v PKS-KPM (Stadium Sultan Azlan Shah, Ipoh, 5.0), MSN v Kedah v UITM Lions (Padang Serai, 5.0).

SUNDAY – Premier Division: Maybank v Sapura (6.0pm), Universiti Kuala Lumpur v Kuala Lumpur HC (8.0pm), Tenaga Nasional Berhad v Terengganu Hockey Team (8.0pm). All matches at National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil.

UNIKL and TNB poised to steal the show

While the focus of attention will once again be on Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) in the second week of the TNBMHL 2015 Premier Division matches tomorrow, it is underdogs Tenaga Nasional Berhad and Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) who are expected to steal the show at the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

With no marquee signings unlike THT and KLHC who boasts of players from Argentina and Pakistan, TNB are the only side in the six-team Premier League who rely on local players and coach Nor Saiful Zaini is determined to see his charges pull through against UniKL to move up the ladder.

However, his biggest concern is the poor rating in penalty corners given that they had six opportunities against Maybank last Sunday despite winning 2-1 in their opening match of the season. Both goals were scored by Mohd Shahril Saabah and Nik Mohd Aiman from field goals.

“This is an area I am quite concern and we have been putting in extra hours during training in getting our set pieces moving in penalty corners,” said Nor Saiful. “We have been quite unlucky against Maybank and I hope things change for the better against UniKL.”

“Getting the ball in the net more often in penalty corners is what matters most. It gives any team great confidence. But I am also optimistic we will out act together as the league progresses,” he added.

TNB, who finished third in the 2014 League and third in the TNB Cup, have national senior players in goalkeeper S. Kumar and forward Shahril Saabah and also powered by six players from the Project 2016 squad.

Meanwhile, UniKL who lost 2-1 to Sapura last week will be counting on Patrick Neil Schultz in penalty corners and attacking machinery that will rattle TNB defence in search of their first win after two matches.

“We had a good game against Sapura last week as it was evenly contested and playing TNB will be tough. They are a good side and we are determined to take the fight to them,” said UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj.

Double champions THT will also aim to bounce back against Maybank tomorrow after the 6-2 drubbing by KLHC in the Charity Shield match on August 2 which scarred their reputation and confidence level while KLHC will go up against Sapura.

Title pretenders on hot trail of TNB Thunderbolt

Buoyed by two straight wins in the opening season of the TNBMHL 2015 Division One Group A matches, TNB Thunderbolt will be the team to watch as the league progresses on Friday.

TNB Thunderbolt have earned six points following a 4-3 win over Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) and 3-1 against Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh (MPI) respectively and go into their third match on Friday against MSP-YP-SSP, a combination of players from Pahang Sports School, Pahang Sports Council and Pahang Foundation, at Stadium Hoki Wisma Belia in Kuantan.

The Pahang outfit, with three points in the bag, will be eager to get back on track after dropping vital points on July 31 in the 2-3 defeat against Majlis Sukan Negeri Terengganu (MSNT) but clawed back to edge MASUM-USM 3-2 in their second game last Sunday.

Fans can rest be assured of a titanic battle in store between TNB Thunderbolt and MSP-YP-SSP.

However, hot on their heels will be BJSS, MPI, and MSNT/PHT - all of whom share three-equal points and this weekend encounters could witness a couple of upsets and positive movements in the table standings.

In Group B, five teams - ATM Airod, UITM, Politeknik Malaysia, Nur Insafi/Penang Hockey and Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School, Johor Bahru (SSTMI) are tied on three-equal points and go into the fray hoping not to falter in this early stage of the Division One league.

UITM, however, will be first to face the might of PKS-KPM (a combination of players from several government universities) at the National Hockey Stadium tomorrow.

In the women’s category, two matches are scheduled also for tomorrow. Kuala Lumpur-SUKMA will play UITM Lions while PKS-KPM goes into a tough encounter with SSTMI Thunderbolts in Group B matches at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

ATM Pernama lead Group A standings with six points following the 4-1 win over MSNT/PHT last week and 9-0 demolition of Penang Juniors.

FIXTURES - TOMORROW (5 August, 2015): Men’s Division 1: UITM v PKS-KPM (National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil, 6.0pm); Women’s Group B: KL-SUKMA v UITM Lions (KLHA Stadium, 6.0pm); PKS-KPM v SSTMI Thunderbolts (National Hockey Stadium, 6.0pm).

FRIDAY (7 August, 2015) – Men’s Division 1A: MSP-YP-SSP v TNB Thunderbolt (Stadium Hoki Wisma Belia, Kuantan, 5.0pm); MSNT/THT v MBI (Stadium Hoki Kuala Terengganu, 5.0pm); Division 1B: PKS-KPM v Nur Insafi (National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil, 5.0pm).

Women’s Group A: ATM Pernama v The Cops (Stadium Tun Razak, 5.0); Penang Juniors v Politeknik Malaysia (Sg Petani, 5.0); Group B: MSN Kedah v PKS-KPM (Padang Serai, 5.0).

KLHC SINK THT WITH SIX GOALS IN CHARITY SHIELD!

Former champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) fired on all cylinders to pulverise double champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) 6-2 in the Charity Shield match of the TNBMHL 2015 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.

It was by far a disappointing performance from Sarjit Singh’s THT after all the hype in the build-up to this opening match of the 2015 Premier League witnessed by an estimated 400 fans.

After a soft opening ceremony which was graced by Malaysian Hockey Confederation president, Dato’ Seri Subahan Kamal, it was THT who found the net first through Argentinean Jose Leandro Toliniin the 14th minute off a penalty corner, giving hope of the Terengganu outfit back on track for another enthralling season.

However, THT who won the league and overall titles last year for the first time in their third season of the TNBMHL, were back paddling in the second quarter of the match as KLHC, champions from 2010 to 2013 and coached by K. Dharmaraj, struck back with three goals within a space of three minutes from penalty corners.

Malaysia’s drag-flick specialist Muhammad Razie Abdul Rahim took all three penalty corners but it was Pakistani Ali Shan who struck from a rebound (19th)to level 1-1 and Nabil Fiqriadded the second (20th) before Razie himself increased the scoreline to 3-1 with a powerful flick past goalkeeper Mohamad Hazrul Faiza minute later.

Muhammad Rashid Baharom than increased it to 5-1 with field goals in the 33rd and 49th minutes much to the delight of KLHC bench and fans while Ismail Abu pulled one back for THT in the 52nd minute to make it 5-2 from a field goal.

But the day certainly belonged to KLHC, who signed the services of six Pakistani players in their 2015 foray - Waseem Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Muhammad Umar Bhutta, Ali Shan, Muhammad Usman and Ahmad Ajaz when Harvinder Singh struck the final blow on THT two minutes before end with a field goal.

“We never expected to win by this big margin and it is wrong to assume that we had a great day on the field,” said Dharmaraj at a post-match press conference. “I think we got lucky after scoring three quick goals from penalties. It made all the difference against a very good side like THT.”

“But I must agree we had a good day today with our foreign players blending well in this first game but it does not mean anything. We still have a long shot at the title,” added Dharmaraj whose charges meet Sapura next Friday at the same venue.

Meanwhile, THT coach Sarjit laments his team’s failure to the quick breakthroughs KLHC made which dampened their chances of making progressive fight back.

“After the three goals from penalties KLHC scored within three minutes kept us on the back foot. Each time we controlled the game in search of goals it was KLHC who went up instead. But this is our first game and we will bounce back,” said Sarjit.

TenagaNasionalBerhad and Sapura also made winning starts today. TNB defeated Maybank 2-1 while Sapura edged UniKL Young Guns 2-1, courtesy of goals from Abdul Haseem Khan’s penalty corner(20th) and Faridzul Afiq(42nd) field goal.

UniKL replied through Muhamad Najmi Farizal in the 58th minute off a field goal.

TNB goals came from Nik Mohamed Aiman(6th) and Mohd ShahrilSaabah(9th) respectively while Mohamed Irfan pulled one back for Maybanktwo minutes later from a penalty corner.

TNB face UniKL Young Guns next on August 7 while Maybank play Terengganu Hockey Team at the National Hockey Stadium.

Results – Premier Division: Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 6 Terengganu Hockey Team 2; TenagaNasionalBerhad2Maybank 1; Sapura 2UniKL Young Guns 1.
Division 1A:MSNT/THT 3 MSP-YP-SSP 2; MajlisBandaraya Ipoh 4 MASUM-USM 1; TNB Thunderbolt 4 BJSS 3;TNB Thunderbolt 3 MBI 0; BJSS 3 MSNT/THT 1; MSP-YP-SSP 3 MASUM-USM 2.
Division 1B:UITM 3 NurInsafi 0; SSTMI 1 Politeknik Malaysia 0; ATM Airod 5 SSTMI 0; Politeknik Malaysia 2 ATM Airod 1; NurInsafi 4 UniKL Young Guns 3.
Women Group A:ATM Pernama 4 MSNT/PHT 1;Penang Juniors 4 The Cops 1; ATM Pernama 9 Penang Juniors 0; Group B: MSN Kedah 2 Manjung HA1.