Maybank go down fighting

22/06/2003

MAYBANK went down fighting to Ernst & Young in a Malaysia Hockey League
(MHL) match at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium yesterday.
With the defeat Tenaga, who hammered Navy Dolphins 14-0 earlier, are now
top of the standings with 19 points, while Maybank also have 19 but with
an inferior goal difference.
Maybank showed that fitness and determination can do wonders, as the
Lions, an average side, were never expected to be in the position they are
in today.
But for the Maybank defenders losing their cool yesterday, the match
could have easily been theirs.
Maybank were stunned in the seventh minute when Ernst & Young received
their first penalty corner but instead of utilising their ace Len Aiyappa,
a set-piece was hatched and Chua Boon Huat got his name on the scoreboard.
But Maybank never gave up and off a speedy counter attack eight minutes
later, they won a penalty corner and K. Gobinathan smashed in the
equaliser.
The match turned robust after that and Ernst & Young's Lee Sien Lam was
flashed the yellow card by unmpire Ravinderpal Singh after he collided
with Suhaimi Ibrahim in the semi-circle.
Maybank failed to take advantage of their numerical advantage as Ernst &
Young defender Maninderjit Singh was a pillar in his circle.
Lee, back from the sin-bin for just a few minutes, was yellow-carded
again for robust play - which means he will miss the next match against
Bank Simpanan Nasional today.
In the second half, tension heightened among the players and Ernst &
Young received a penalty stroke in the 43rd minute which was converted by
Amin Rahim for the three points.
Tenaga Nasional hammered the daylights out of Navy Dolphins at the same
venue earlier when they romped home 14-0.
Tenaga scored an average of one goal every five minutes after the
floodgates were opened by Azlan Misron in the first minute.
The other Tenaga goalscorers were Tajol Rosli (fourth, 56th), M.
Kaliswaran (fifth, 13th), Fairuz Ramli (14th, 18th), Syayrim Uda Karim
(35th), S. Selvaraju (42nd), Nor Saiful Zaini (49th, 66th), S. Saravanan
(55th, 58th), Nor Azaln Bakar (68th).
* AT the Pandaraman Stadium in Klang, Pahang Sports Council and Royal
Malay Regiment played to a 2-2 draw.
RMR took a two-goal lead off their Hong Kong import Arif Ali in the
second and 17th minutes, but Pahang snatched a draw with second-half goals
from Zulkifli Abdullah (57th) and Norzaiful Rizal (59th).
Today: Navy Dolphins v Johor Baru Municipal Council (Azlan Shah Stadium,
5.15pm); Customs v Sapura (Pandamaran Stadium, 5.15pm); Ipoh City Hall v
Srii Aroma (Azlan Shah Stadium, 8pm); Ernst & Young v Bank Simpanan
Nasional (KLHA stadium, 5.15pm).
RESULTS
Ernst & Young......2 Maybank ........1
Pahang SC..........2 RMR ............2
Tenaga ...........14 Navy Dolphins...0
(END)