KLHC nail double

FINAL: Sapura 1 Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club 3.
Third-Fourth: Yayasan Negri Sembilan 1 Tenaga Nasional 3.
ROLL-OF-HONOUR:
Top Scorer: Razi Rahim (27 goals, KLHC)
Faiplay: Armed Forces Airod (RM3,000)
Man-of-the-Final: Roslan Jamaluddin (KLHC)
Man-of-the-Tournament: Azlan Misron (KLHC)
Best Goalkeeper: S. Kumar (Tenaga)

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) claimed their second double when they beat Sapura 3-1 in the final of the TNB Cup at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday.
The first double was in 2008, and yesterday's effort earned them RM60,000 while Sapura received RM40,000.
A crowd of 4,000 watched a sizzling final, as hockey was played at an entertaining level by both teams.
And it did not take long to get the crowd excited, as in the first minute itself, an Azlan Misron cross found Nabil Fiqri who gave KLHC an early boost.
Sapura were forced to open up the match after that and started making numerous counter attacks, which failed to find the equaliser even after four penalty corners were won as S. Kuhan was off colour.
KLHC resorted to defending, and only started attacking in the last 10 minutes of the first half, but could not increase the lead as three penalty corners were wasted by 26-goal scorer Razie Rahim.
After the breather, KLHC again mounted a swift attack in the 36th minute to consolidate their lead, but Ismail Abu just missed.
Sapura kept on pushing for the equalsier and in the 46th minute, Korean import Lim Woo Geun sent in a sizzling penalty corner flick which drew them level, but only for two minutes.
KLHC's Amerullah Aziz took it upon himself and made a darting run, and found the foot of a Sapura player in the 48th minute to win a penalty coner. Razie cooly flicked home their second, and his 27th goal of the Malaysia Hockey League.
Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, who had a poor match thus far, suddenly sprung into action in the 58th minute and scored a super field goal to give Sapura a 3-1 lead.
All hell almost broke loose in the 59th minute when Rodzhanizam Radzi of Sapura took a swipe at KLHC's Shahrun Nabil.
There was a brief commotion, and umpire Nazmi Kamaruddin brought it under control by flashing the red card to Rodzhanizam while Shahrun received the yellow for retaliating.
"It was a highy charged, but entertaining final and my players deserve the double as they never lost a match other than the Charity Shield (against Tenaga Nasional)," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
Meanwhile, in the bronze battle Yayasan Negri Sembian drew first blood when Muhammad Imran converted a penalty corner in the 16th minute, but Tenaga Nasional refused to cave in easily.
The tide was turned by Faizal Saari who scored a penalty corner brace in the 25th and 45th minute, before Mahinder Singh zipped the match shut with a field attempt in the 67th minute and TNB were RM30,000 richer.
YNS received RM20,000 for finishing fourth.

Bronze: Tenaga 3 YNS 1

IN the bronze battle of the TNB Cup, Yayasan Negri Sembian
drew first blood when Muhammad Imran converted a
penalty corner in the 16th minute, but Tenaga Nasional
refused to cave in easily.
The tide was turned by Faizal Saari who scored a
penalty corner brace in the 25th and 45th minute, before
Mahinder Singh zipped the match shut with a field attempt
in the 67th minute and TNB were RM30,000 richer.
YNS received RM20,000 for finishing fourth.

Kuala Lumpur-Malacca final

DEFENDING champions Kuala Lumpur stormed into the
final of the National Under 16 Tournament in style when
they whipped Kelantan 6-0 at the KLHA Stadium
yesterday.
In the other semi-finals, Malacca defied the odds to beat
Perak 3-1 on penalty strokes after the match ended in a
1-1 draw. It is the first time that Malacca has qualified for
the final.
Kuala Lumur, who won the last three editions, is now
just a step away from their fourth consecutive title.
Goalkeeper Mohamed Ridzwan was the toast of the
Malacca as he saved the third stroke, having psyched the
first two Perak flickers, Khairul Adha Ilyas and Azli Misron
to send their flicks wide on either side of the goal.
And the attempt by Helmi Jaafar was saved by Ridzwan.
Malacca scored through Luqman Nurhakim, Muhd Zairie
Nizam and Firdaus Omar with only Amirul Aiman failing to
find the mark.
In regulation time, Perak took the lead in the 24th
minute off Mohamed Khairul but Malacca drew level in the
62nd minute when Faid Farhadh converted a penalty
corner. Extra time failed to produce a winner and the
match was decided on penalty strokes.
Kuala Lumpur's march towards the final is all the more
impressive given that they have gone 560 minutes without
conceding a goal.
As with their preliminary round matches, Kuala Lumpur
were slow starters and took more then 15 minutes to
settle down.
But once they did, Farhan Danial (19th), Atihsha Tamil
Chelvam (21st, 67th), Norsyafiq Sumantri (23rd), Zizi
Azwan Hassan (26th), Zulaniq Adib (44th) -- completeded
the show.
RESULTS: Semi-finals -- Kuala Lumpur 6 Kelantan 0;
Malacca 1 Perak 1 (Malacca win 3-1 on penalty strokes)
TODAY: Final -- Kuala Lumpur v Malacca (5.30pm);
Third-Fourth: Perak v Kelantan (3.30pm).
Both matches at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium.