PIC: S. KUHAN red carded against Nur Insafi.THREE teams have virtually booked their semi-final slots in the TNB-Malaysia Hockey League (MHL), while only one quarter-finals tie threatening to swing either way.
Today, double champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club, who hammered Division One champions SSTMI-Thunderbolt 7-1 in the first leg of the quarter-finals, will return to the field to score more goals in the lop-sided clash.
Maybank also have a 5-0 cushion against UniKl, while Tenaga Nasional beat Yayasan Negri Sembilan (YNS) 5-1 to cement their semis slot.
All three clashes will be held tomorrow at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Sapura, who ended up at the losing end with a 1-2 score and a red card to their skipper S. Kuhan, are looking to bounce back.
“Nothing went right in that mid-week match. I am not one to make excuses, but many of my players have a job and family to think of first, before playing hockey.
“So, it would have been better if the math had been held on a weekend. However, having said that, we can’t afford another blunder on Saturday and throw away our second life- line,” said Sapura coach I. Vickneswaran.
Sapura hammered Nur Insafi 7-1 in the League match, so it came as a surprise on how they fared in the quarter- finals.
“I believe many factors worked towards our poor show in the first leg, but since it is only a slim one-goal lead, we will work twice harder to bounce back and play in the semi- finals,” said Vickneswaran.
TODAY: Q-finals (second leg): SSTMI-Thunderbolt (0) v KL Hockey Club (7) (KLHA Stadium, 6pm)
TOMORROW: Q-finals (second leg): Nur Insafi (2) v Sapura (1) (National Stadium, 4pm), Yayasan NS (1) v Tenaga (5) (National Stadium, 6pm), UniKL (0) v Maybank (5) (national Stadium, 8pm)
Note: First round scores in parenthesis.
