Tenaga thump Malaysia Sports School

12/05/2003

TENAGA Nasional finally tasted the overall title glory when they edged
Malaysia Sports School 1-0 in the final of the MHF-Milo-Admiral-NSC Junior
Hockey League at the National Hockey Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
The win also "unmasked the real champions" as Tenaga were sore after
losing the Division One title when Malaysia SS scored 12 goals against
Johor Sports Council in the final league match to edge them on a single
goal difference.
Tenaga vowed revenge, and it was sweet victory for them yesterday.
"We went in with a mission and I am happy that my boys unmasked the real
champions of the JHL by beating Malaysia SS in the final," said Tenaga
coach K. Rajan.
Being named as the Man-of-the Match justly rewarded Tenaga's Abbas
Nekmat, who clinched the winner in the 60th minute.
Both the teams played to instructions in the first half, and almost put
the 3,000-odd crowd to sleep as they sized up each other.
Tenaga Nasional made a concerted effort in the first five minutes, but
when they failed to get the early goal, the players started playing
cautiously.
Malaysia SS received three penalty corners but all went to waste, and
the same happened to Tenaga's solitary penalty corner in the first half.
The second half saw better hockey in midfield, but the forwards still
could not break the deadlock and by the 50th minute, the possibility of
penalty strokes to decide the champions loomed large.
Tenaga's Abbas Nekmat had the best chance to clinch the match for his
team, but his 55th minute thundering shot hit the crossbar and bounced
out.
Tenaga had a slight advantage in the second half as two Malaysia SS
players were sent to the sin-bin, one after another, but still, they could
not make use of the numbers.
First Malaysia SS's Che Mohamed Nasal was sent out, and when he was
called in, Amerullah Aziz was sent to the sin-bin but the sports
schoolboys played their hearts out and denied Tenaga.
But the tempo changed in the 60th minute when Abbas Nekmat tapped in a
soft goal after receiving a pass from S. Selvaraju, but Malaysia SS
players claimed the shot was dangerous and that the goal should have been
disallowed.
The Malaysia SS players crowded umpire S. Sagayanathan and there was
some pushing and shoving until Malaysia SS goalkeeper-cum skipper Ahmad
Bazli Razali pushed them away and fought his case alone.
Sagayanathan then consulted second umpire Ravinderpal Singh and blew for
goal again.
With 10 minutes remaining in the match Malaysia SS became desperate and
opened up the game. There was plenty of attacking, but Malaysia SS
forwards, especially their ace Tengku Ahmad Tajudin, were guilty of over-
dribbling.
Tenaga allowed Malaysia SS to be in the match by playing an open game,
and there were many heart-stopping moments for the Tenaga fans and
officials on the bench.
So when the final horn blew, there was plenty of wild celebrations on
the Tenaga bench.
ROLL OF HONOUR - Fairplay Award: Johor Sports Council (RM3,000), Top
Goal Scorer Div One (RM200): S. Selvaraju and Saiful Amri Idris
Terengganu) - 10 goals each, Top Goal Scorer Div Two (RM200): Ahmad Anuar
Sham Kamar (Malacca MC), S. Mahendran (Malay Mail), Baljit Singh (Sports
School Juniors) - all scored 13 goals each; Best Goalkeeper (RM200):
Khairul Nizam Ibrahim (Telekom Pahang); Best Player of Tournament (RM200):
S. Selvaraju (Tenaga Nasional); Man-of-the-Match (RM200): Abbas Nekmat
(Tenaga); League Champions - Overall Champions (RM25,000): Tenaga
Nasional, Runners-up (RM15,000): Malaysia Sports School, Div One: Malaysia
Sports School (RM10,000), Div Two: Malacca Municipal Council RM10,000.
(END)