Segambut face MPPJ onslaught

16/08/1997

BANK Simpanan Nasional (BSN) held Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (PJMC)
1-1 last week to deny them an early League title but today PJMC are
expected to face little resistance from the Segambut Hockey Club (SHC).
Top of the table PJMC, with nine national players in their team, will
have no trouble claiming the title because as only a Herculean effort from
Segambut can upset the formbook.
And the fact that PJMC playmaker R. Shankar, who fractured his jaw bone
and will be out of action for at least six weeks, will not be a major
drawback as PJMC have enough capable replacements.
Shankar is expected to miss the overall title final on Sept 6 and the
Razak Cup on Sept 12-21 in Seremban.
BSN, who are second in the standings with a point behind, will meet
Perak SEDC today and are also expected to have it easy.
But a win alone is not enough. BSN can only claim the League title if
PJMC lose to Segambut.
In the other half, the fight for the last quarterfinal ticket will be
decided between Kuala Langat and DeTas tomorrow at the Petaling Jaya
Municipal Council Stadium.
Kuala Langat had the chance to qualify on Thursday, but they fumbled
against Bank Bumiputra (BBMB).
"A draw was all we needed against BBMB, and I think the players did the
wrong thing by defending. Against DeTas we will go all out for a win.
Making the quarterfinals should not be too difficult," said Kuala Langat
coach C. Sivasubramaniam.
And if Kuala Langat fail to score, the match between Royal Malay
Regiment (RMR) and Maybank at the Bukit Jalil Stadium will be of crucial
importance.
The soldiers face a mammoth task of upsetting Maybank who will be eying
for a fourth spot in the standings.
BBMB, who are in the last eight, are expected to take things easy
against Pos Malaysia.
"We have achieved our target of making the quarterfinals, now we can
take it easy in our last preliminary round match against Pos Malaysia,"
said BBMB assistant manager Ahmad Fahlawi.
Today: Tenaga v JLJ (5.0, Bukit Jalil Stadium 2); BSN v Perak SEDC
(5.30, Bukit Jalil Stadium 1); Segambut v PJMC (7.45, Bukit Jalil Stadium
1).
(END)