KLHC edge TNB 3-2

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) edged Tenaga Na sional 3-2 in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday (18-12-09).
Both sides parades a healthy dose of national players, and the win has placed KLHC as the ‘team to beat’ in the six-team tournament.
Fairuz Ramli handed Tenaga the lead in the fourth minute, but a minute later Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin dazzled with his skills and nailed the equaliser.
KLHC then took the lead off Megat Azrafiq in the 13th minute, and the score stood until the breather.
Amin Rahim flicked in the equaliser for Tenaga in the 54th minute, only to see Sukri Mutalib deliver the winner for KLHC in the 60th minute.
In another match, Maybank beat UniKL-IBIL 3-0 with goals from Azammi Adabi (26th), Suhaimi Ibrahim (60th) and Norikram Sulaiman (70th).
In the last match of the day, Sapura beat Nur Insafi 4-0 with a hat-trick from Rodhanizam Radzi (2nd, 5th, 41st) and Redza Maadun (68th).
“We have placed ourselves in a good position with two wins, but it is too early in the League to start dreaming big. We must beat Sapura tomorrow (today) and keep up the momentum as the rest of the teams are also improving with every match,” said KLHC coach R. Vivekanandan.
The two-week rest allowed KLHC to bond as a team, but Vivekanandan said his charges can perform much better.
“We will be playing the same teams again, and there must be constant improvement in tactics, if we want to lift the title.
“The penalty corner variations, defending and attacking, is also crucial as all the teams have good flickers. And even though we won against Tenaga today (yesterday), I would say it was a 50-50 match, and we barely collected the three points.”
RESULTS: Maybank 3 UniKL 0, KL Hockey Club 3 TNB 2, Nur Insafi 0 Sapura 4.
TODAY: Maybank v TNB (4.30pm), UniKL v Nur Insafi (6.30pm), KL Hockey Club v Sapura (8.30pm). All matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.

STANDINGS

P W D L F A Pts
MAYBANK 2 2 0 0 8 2 6
KLHC 2 2 0 0 6 2 6
SAPURA 2 1 0 1 5 3 3
TENAGA 2 1 0 1 5 4 3
UNIKL 2 0 0 2 0 6 0
NUR INSAFI 2 0 0 2 2 9 0