Nor Azlan the villain

25/05/2002

TENAGA ....1 ANDERSEN ....1
(Aggregate 3-3, Andersen win after sudden-death penalties)
TENAGA Nasional Bhd chose the wrong opponents and paid heavily when
Andersen Sports Club pipped them to the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL)
final.
The match was keenly contested at the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Stadium but in
the end, Nor Azlan Bakar missed a sudden-death penalty stroke and Andersen
walked into the final.
Tenaga had the option of either meeting Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) or
Andersen in the semifinals when they played their last League match
against BSN, but they threw the match 2-1 to meet Andersen and paid
heavily for it.
Now, Andersen and BSN will meet in the final tomorrow at the National
Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The first leg of the semifinal ended 2-2, and yesterday both teams were
tied 1-1 and could not break the deadlock even in extra time.
The first five penalties was also tied 2-2, and the sudden-death
penalties went into the fifth and in the end, Nor Azlan Bakar flicked out
and the Andersen players celebrated wildly.
Tenaga played a superb match but only managed to score in the 45th
minute when Fairus Ramli connected home a Nor saiful Zaini penalty corner.
But five minutes later, Andersen won their second penalty corner of the
match and Indian import Len Ayappa delivered with a powerful flick.
The match went into extra time and still, League champions Tenaga failed
to get the all-important goal.
And for the penalty flicks, Andersen coach K. Dharmaraj sent in his
second goalkeeper P. Ganesan and it paid off handsomely as he saved three
penalty flicks.
Dharmaraj summed up the situation when he said: "Tenaga picked to play
us in the semifinals. And I am proud that my players took up the challenge
and kept pace with the League champions.
"Once the match went into penalty strokes, I knew we had a better chance
because I have been preparing Ganesan just for this moment," said
Dharmaraj.
According to Dharmaraj, Ganesan has proven himself in penalty strokes in
a few tournaments and that is why he sent him in for the flicks.
"Going by the old rules, only the playing goalkeeper can defend the
penalty strokes, so I was prepared to send Ganesan in one minute before
the match ended. "But the technical officials told me that any registered
goalkeeper can defend strokes irrespective of whether he played in the
match or not," said Dharmaraj.
Ganesan stopped Nor Azlan Bakar in the first flick, then palmed off
Madzli Ikmar's flick to keep Andesen in play.
And in the 10th flick, Nor Azlan Bakar, who prayed on the KLHA turf
while his teammates took the flicks, failed yet again and Andersen had
every reason to celebrate.
(END)