A stroll for E&Y

15/06/2003

Customs .............1 Tenaga Nasional ..4
Ernst & Young........6 Pahang SC ........0
Navy Dolphins.... ...0 Ipoh City Hall ...2
ERNST & YOUNG looked like they were taking a stroll in the park, but still
packed enough firepower to demolish Pahang Sports Council 6-0 in the
Malaysia Hockey League at the KLHA Stadium yesterday.
But Ernst & Young should place the League title at the back of their
minds, and concentrate on the Overall crown because their one blunder
against Tenaga Nasional has placed them as outsiders.
"We are still in the running for the League title, but on the outer
rings, because we now have to wait for Tenaga and Sapura to drop points.
"Placing luck aside, I feel we have a better chance of landing the Overall
title which we will prepare for by improving in the remaining matches,"
said Ernst & Young coach K. Dharmaraj.
Len Aiyappa was back in form and scored a hat-trick (second, eighth,
55th) to bring his tally to 16 in five matches. Mirnawan Nawawi, looking
much sharper after shedding some weight, scored in the 53rd minute while
the other goals were scored by S. Shanker (12th) and Chua Boon Huat
(30th).
"I have changed the positions of some of the players and it proved to be
a better combination, because we hardly felt the pressure at the back,"
said Dharmaraj.
Mirnawan was placed in the attacking semicircle to either make an
attempt or win penalty corners for Aiyappa, unlike the previous matches
where he moved up and down and wore himself out.
Dharmaraj also used Aiyappa as a striker in the second half, but the
Indian import was still not too comfortable with his new position.
* At the Pandamaran Stadium in Klang, Tenaga Nasional had to come from
behind to beat Royal Malaysian Customs 4-1 and moved to third on the
standings.
Customs shocked Tenaga with a 32nd minute penalty corner goal from Ikmal
Abdul Jabar but Nor Saiful Zaini equalised just before the break.
Norazlan Rahim saved the utility giants with two goals in the 55th and
57th minutes while Azlan Misron nailed the three points with a 66th
minute field goal.
Today: Maybank v Bank Simpanan Nasional (Tun Razak Stadium, 6pm); Ernst
& Young v Johor Baru MC (Pantai Stadium, 6pm); Royal Malay Regiment v Srii
Aroma (Tun Razak Stadium, 8pm); Sapura v Pahang Sports Council (Pantai
Stadium, 8pm).
(END)