Tenaga maintain unbeaten run

22/04/2002

BSN ........2 SAPURA ...2
ANDERSEN ...3 RAMD .....2
BCB ........6 NAVY .....0
TENAGA .....3 MAYBANK ..2
TENAGA Nasional Bhd ended the first round of the Malaysia Hockey League
(MHL) unbeaten when they staved off a determined Maybank at the Kuala
Lumpur Hockey stadium last night.
There was plenty of drama in the match which was delayed for 15 minutes
because the floodlights at the KL Stadium refused to light up eventhough
Tenaga Nasional were playing.
Sixteen minutes into the explosive match, Maybank were ready to walk out
after disputing Mahinder Singh's goal.
Mahinder connected a hit from the top of the semicircle but Maybank
players claimed it was dangerous play and the referee should not have
awarded a goal. Maybank skipper Suhairi Saidi protested the goal and
walked towards the technical officials' desk. The drama went on for five
minutes and Maybank players refused to restart the match until their coach
Wallace Tan defused the situation.
In the 19th minute, Tenaga's M.T. Kaliswaran made a solo run from the
25-yard line to beat Maybank goalkeeper Paul Lopez, doubling the electric
company's lead.
Five minutes later, Maybank's Suhaimi Ibrahim injected some life into
the match when he scored a stunning goal off a penalty corner.
After the breather, Maybank took control of the match as Tenaga forwards
Mahinder and Kaliswaran missed too many open goals. Maybank equalised in
the 40th minute when K. Gobinathan slammed in a penalty corner goal past
goalkeeper S. Kumar.
But in the end Tenaga were not to be denied their glory as Mahinder
dived in and connected home a Kaliswaran pass in the 52nd minute.
Tenaga coach K. Rajan was elated by their umblemished record but
lamented on the forwards' poor finishing.
"Kaliswaran and Mahinder had plenty of good looks at the Maybank
goalmouth but they could not finish off their fine runs inside the
semicircle. But I am very happy with my men because they ended the first
round unbeaten," said Rajan.
The second round will be much tougher for Tenaga as every team in the
MHL will be gunning to be the first to beat Tenaga.
"It will be very hard to maintain the record in the second round because
every team is improving. Just look at the way RMR played against Andersen
Sports Club today (Andersen scraped past the soldiers 3-2).
jugjet@nstp.com.my
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