Sapura a step closer to second spot

19/05/2002

SAPURA 4
ANDERSEN 3
JOLLY LADS 1
RAMD 0
SAPURA took a giant step towards the second spot in the Malaysia Hockey
League (MHL) standings when they beat highly-touted Andersen Sports Club
4-3 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
Today, Sapura meet Jolly Lads Sports Club and a win will see them finish
second in the League with 35 points. The second spot comes with a RM10,000
purse and that should be enough to spur coach M. Sambu's men.
But if Sapura lose against Jolly Lads today, and Bank Simpanan Nasional
(BSN) do the unthinkable and beat Tenaga Nasional, then BSN will take home
the purse.
Yesterday, Andersen drew first blood in the 27th minute when Len Ayappa
flicked home a penalty corner.
But in the 37th minute, Nishel Kumar scored a gem of a goal to bring
Sapura back on level terms and opened up the match.
Sapura were the better team, in terms of planning their attacks, but the
goals just refused to come.
In the second half, Andersen took the lead again in the 43rd minute, off
a Dhanraj Pillay goal but it was quickly cancelled out by Nishel two
minutes later.
Sapura skipper S. Kuhan took a free hit from the 25-yard line and found
Nishel, who turned and sounded the board with a stunning shot.
But in the 54th minute, Dhanraj capitalised on a Sapura defender's
mistake and scored a field goal and Sapura found themselves trailing for
the third time.
But Kuhan maintained his cool and in the 59th minute, when Sapura won a
penalty corner, he flicked home to tie the match 3-3.
A silly mistake by Andersen's Norhanafpe Omar in the 69th minute, when
he threw his stick after failing to stop Kuhan from entering the
semicircle, gave away a last-gasp penalty corner.
The crowd could sense that something was going to come out of it, and
true enough, Kuhan flicked home well.
"Both sides played well, but when Mirnawan Nawawi got stretchered out
the match swung in our direction because they lost a valuable playmaker,"
said Sapura coach Sambu.
(END)