Charity Shield: KLHC prevail in shootout over THT

Kuala Lumpur (13 January, 2017): Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) clinched the TNBMHL 2017 Charity Shield Cup following a 6-5 win in penalty shootout over Terengganu Hockey Team after both teams were tied 2-2 in regulation time at the Batu Buruk Hockey Stadium in Kuala Terengganu today.

The victory also erased KLHC’s 7-2 defeat against double champions THT in the quarterfinals of the Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup Knockout Tournament at the Tun Razak Stadium last week.

Muhammad Noor Faez Ibrahim opened scoring for KLHC in the 31^st minute via a penalty corner but Faizal Saari slowed down the city boys’ celebrations with a field goal three minutes later before Pakistan’s Umar Bhutta increased the advantage for KLHC in the 51^st minute.

However, a THT and KLHC match has always seen dramatic endings and this was proven when Korean Jang Jonghyun scored the equaliser in the 56^th minute, forcing the match into a shootout. KLHC eventually prevailed 6-5 to lift the Charity Shield Cup for the fourth consecutive time since 2014.

Prior to the start of the Charity Shield match, the Malaysian Hockey Confederation contributed a token sum of donation to Rumah Kasih Harmoni in Kuala Terengganu.

In Kuala Lumpur, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) turned on the power in the second half to register a 6-1 victory over TNB Thunderbolts whilst Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) pulverised Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) 5-0 at the KLHA Stadium and Maybank fought hard to overcome a gritty Universiti Teknologi MARA-KPT (UiTM) 3-2 at the adjacent Ministry of Education Hockey Stadium.

Muhammad Ramadan Rosli started TNB’s goal rush in the eighth minute via a field goal but it was only in the second half that TNB upped the ante against the 2016 Division One champions by scoring five more goals.

Norsyafiq Sumantri added the second in the 36^th minute, Azril Misron netted a brace (37^th and 38^th minutes) and Muhammad Aminudin Mohd Zain fired from a penalty corner in the next minute as TNB grabbed a 5-1 lead before 17-year-old Muhammad Akhimullah Anuar Esook pulled one back for Thunderbolts a minute into the third quarter.

Muhammad Shahril Saabah capped a fine evening for TNB with the sixth goal seconds before the hooter via a penalty corner.

Arul Selvaraj’s UniKL also got off to a winning start with a comprehensive 5-0 win over Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School, the 2016 Division One League runner-up, at the same venue.

Clinical finishing and good team work were the key ingredients as UniKL warmed up to a difficult task in their second match on Sunday where they will take on TNB.

“It is always good to start a season with a win but it’s a compact league with matches every third day,” said Arul. “Therefore the depth on the bench is vital as we need to give

equal playing time as well as not affect the style of play. We need to work on some grey areas like defending counter attacks and creating penalty corners.”

UniKL’s midfield trio of Rafizul Ezry, Mohamed Toseeq and Marhan Jalil played extremely well. Izwan Firdaus opened scoring for UniKL in the 15^th minute and four minutes later Australian Lachlan Gerald Stock doubled the advantage for UniKL before Izwan made it 3-0 in the 21^st minute.

Lachlan went on to notch his hat-trick with goals in the 47^th and 51^st minutes to round up an impressive start in the MHL.

UiTM surprised Maybank with a ninth minute field goal through Mohammad Norikhwan Nor Rahman but Maybank went ahead 3-1 by the 56^th minute with a brace from Hafifihafiz Hanafi (25^th and 38^th minutes) and Firdaus Fauzi (56^th) before Joshua Pieter Ephraums reduced the deficit two minute late from a field goal.

Results – Premier League: Terengganu Hockey Team 2-2 (KLHC win 6-5 in penalty shootout) Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club; TNB 6 TNB Thunderbolts 1; Universiti Kuala Lumpur 5 Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School 0; Universiti Teknologi MARA-KPT 2 Maybank 3.

Premier Fixtures – Sunday (15 January, 2017): Terengganu Hockey Team v Universiti Teknologi MARA-KPT (Stadium Hockey Batu Buruk, Kuala Terengganu, 5.00pm); Universiti Kuala Lumpur  v Tenaga Nasional Berhad (4.00pm); Maybank v Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (Stadium Hoki Bukit Serindit, Malacca, 6.00pm); Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v TNB Thunderbolts (KLHA Stadium,  6.00pm).