THE National team pulled off a 1-1 draw against New Zealand in the Sultan of Johor Cup at the Taman Daya Stadium yesterday.
The hosts, beaten 2-1 by Australia on Saturday, will next meet a super-fit South Korea tomorrow.
Malaysia started at the receiving end, when Russel Kane gave New Zealand an early lead in the ninth minute off a penalty corner attempt and the score stood until the breather.
The only laudable miss from Malaysia was in the 20th minute, when Syamim Yusof blew a sitter, and then the penalty corner battery failed to score a corner won 40 seconds from half-time.
After the re-start, Malaysia kept on earning penalty corners, a total of six, but the stubborn Kiwi defense held on tightly until the 62nd minute.
That was when a pass from Fitri Saari was deflected home by Amir farid, who was lurking at the far post, to draw level and the score stool until the final hooter.
Pakistan and India again suffered defeats when they lost 2-1 and 3-2 to South Korea and Australia respectively.
It was a better show from India compared to their first match where they lost 6-4 to Korea despite a 4-0 lead after 35 minutes.
"It was a great display of attacking hockey from both teams and we were a shade lucky that they ran out of time in the end. I am impressed with the play of our opponents and really some of them could be in their senior side real soon," said Australian coach Paul Gaudoin.
"But we need to improve on our basics as there were a lot of basic mistakes which allowed them possession of the ball. Overall it was a good win though we can and ought to play much better."
Australia took only eight minutes to take the lead when Daniel Beale scored. India replied in the 24th minute after some fine work on the right by Gurinder Singh who set up Ramandeep Singh for an easy tap in.
But Australia regained the lead in the 29th minute when Josh Walters punished the Indian defence for a sloppy show, and made it 3-1 in the 50th minute off a penalty corner rebound from Cameron Joyce.
Ramandeep Singh scored India's second in the 66th minute, but time ran out on them to pull off an equaliser.
In another match, South Korea had to bring out their best to beat Pakistan 2-1. The Korean goals were scored by their skipper Yang Ji Hun (20th) and Lee Jung Jun (24th). The Pakistan goal was scored by Muhammad Adnan in the 53rd minute.
RESULTS: South Korea 2 Pakistan 1, Australia 3 India 2, Malaysia 1 New Zealand 1.
TUESDAY: New Zealand v Australia (4pm), Malaysia v South Korea (6pm), Pakistan v India (8pm).
WEDNESDAY: South Korea v Australia (4pm), India v New Zealand (6pm), Pakistan v Malaysia (8pm).
FRIDAY: Australia v Pakistan (4pm), New Zealand v South Korea (6pm), India v Malaysia (8pm).
P W D L F A Pts
S KOREA 2 2 0 0 8 5 6
AUSTRALIA 2 2 0 0 5 3 6
N ZEALAND 2 1 1 0 2 1 4
MALAYSIA 2 0 1 1 2 3 1
PAKISTAN 2 0 0 2 1 3 0
INDIA 2 0 0 2 6 9 0
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Malaysia blow golden chance
MALAYSIA paid a heavy price for not fielding their two top strikers when they were edged 2-1 by Australia in the inaugural Sultan of Johor Cup at the Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru last night.
The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) had decided to rest Faisal Saari and Firhan Ashaari from the Johor tournament, as they are being primed for the Champions Challenge I by national coach Tai Beng Hai, and the juniors team were toothless in their opening match in Johor.
Australia were far from imnpressive, but still won 2-1 -- both were goals gifted on a platter by the Malaysian defenders.
Malaysia should have been 3-0 up by the 10th minute, but two silly clearances at the back resulted in Australia taking a 1-0 lead into the dressing room, instead.
After three early good looks at the Australian goalmouth, with the forwards missing a beat in the final touch, Shazrul Imran gave away a penalty corner which was turned into a penalty stroke by the Aussies.
And William Shaw made sure with a flick from the spot in the 22nd minute and the national team went back to the drawing board for 10 minutes to plot the second half.
However, another silly mistake from Malaysian skipper Noor Faeez Ibrahim in the 57th minute, sealed their fate in the opening clash.
The captain's poor clearance was intercepted with ease, and this time Josh Walters scored the gift goal with ease.
Malaysia won three consecutive penalty corners after the 70th minute hooter blew, and finally Noor Faeez sounded the board.
In the other matches, Pakistan and India suffered contrasting defeats, against New Zealand and South Korea respectively.
And while Pakistan fell to an early goal and lost 1-0 to the Kiwis, India held a 4-0 lead into the half-time before crumbling to a 6-4 defeat.
It was a remarkable comeback by the Koreans, while India were left wondering what hit them in the second half where they failed to find a single goal despite creating many chances.
"The boys were overconfident in the second half and paid the price for it. While Korea defended poorly early in the game, we did the same in the second half and once Korea were on level terms, my players body language said it all -- they just gave up," said Indian coach Mukesh Kumar.
"It was only in the last ten minutes that we tried coming back into the match but it was a little too late. It was a good lesson for the boys though as one should never take the outcome of a match as granted though leading by four goals."
India took a 4-0 lead off Kumar Mylaram (fourth), Malek Singh (16th, 29th), Talwinder Singh (31st).
But that was asa far as they got, as Korea hit a sixer in the second half off Yang Ji Hun (39th, 48th, 56th, 59th), Yoon Dong Hyeon (41st),Yoon Dong Hyeon (41st).
The New Zealand winner was scored by skipper Ross Nicholas in the seventh minute off a penalty stroke and Pakistan never recovered after that early goal.
RSULTS: South Korea 6 India 4, New Zealand 1 Pakistan 0, Australia 2 Malaysia 0.
SUNDAY: South Korea v Pakistan (4pm), Australia v India (6pm), Malaysia v New Zealand (8pm).
TUESDAY: New Zealand v Australia (4pm), Malaysia v South Korea (6pm), Pakistan v India (8pm).
WEDNESDAY: South Korea v Australia (4pm), India v New Zealand (6pm), Pakistan v Malaysia (8pm).
FRIDAY: Australia v Pakistan (4pm), New Zealand v South Korea (6pm), India v Malaysia (8pm).
P W D L F A Pts
S KOREA 1 1 0 0 6 4 3
AUSTRALIA 1 1 0 0 2 1 3
N ZEALAND 1 1 0 0 1 0 3
MALAYSIA 1 0 0 1 1 2 0
PAKISTAN 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
INDIA 1 0 0 1 4 6 0
The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) had decided to rest Faisal Saari and Firhan Ashaari from the Johor tournament, as they are being primed for the Champions Challenge I by national coach Tai Beng Hai, and the juniors team were toothless in their opening match in Johor.
Australia were far from imnpressive, but still won 2-1 -- both were goals gifted on a platter by the Malaysian defenders.
Malaysia should have been 3-0 up by the 10th minute, but two silly clearances at the back resulted in Australia taking a 1-0 lead into the dressing room, instead.
After three early good looks at the Australian goalmouth, with the forwards missing a beat in the final touch, Shazrul Imran gave away a penalty corner which was turned into a penalty stroke by the Aussies.
And William Shaw made sure with a flick from the spot in the 22nd minute and the national team went back to the drawing board for 10 minutes to plot the second half.
However, another silly mistake from Malaysian skipper Noor Faeez Ibrahim in the 57th minute, sealed their fate in the opening clash.
The captain's poor clearance was intercepted with ease, and this time Josh Walters scored the gift goal with ease.
Malaysia won three consecutive penalty corners after the 70th minute hooter blew, and finally Noor Faeez sounded the board.
In the other matches, Pakistan and India suffered contrasting defeats, against New Zealand and South Korea respectively.
And while Pakistan fell to an early goal and lost 1-0 to the Kiwis, India held a 4-0 lead into the half-time before crumbling to a 6-4 defeat.
It was a remarkable comeback by the Koreans, while India were left wondering what hit them in the second half where they failed to find a single goal despite creating many chances.
"The boys were overconfident in the second half and paid the price for it. While Korea defended poorly early in the game, we did the same in the second half and once Korea were on level terms, my players body language said it all -- they just gave up," said Indian coach Mukesh Kumar.
"It was only in the last ten minutes that we tried coming back into the match but it was a little too late. It was a good lesson for the boys though as one should never take the outcome of a match as granted though leading by four goals."
India took a 4-0 lead off Kumar Mylaram (fourth), Malek Singh (16th, 29th), Talwinder Singh (31st).
But that was asa far as they got, as Korea hit a sixer in the second half off Yang Ji Hun (39th, 48th, 56th, 59th), Yoon Dong Hyeon (41st),Yoon Dong Hyeon (41st).
The New Zealand winner was scored by skipper Ross Nicholas in the seventh minute off a penalty stroke and Pakistan never recovered after that early goal.
RSULTS: South Korea 6 India 4, New Zealand 1 Pakistan 0, Australia 2 Malaysia 0.
SUNDAY: South Korea v Pakistan (4pm), Australia v India (6pm), Malaysia v New Zealand (8pm).
TUESDAY: New Zealand v Australia (4pm), Malaysia v South Korea (6pm), Pakistan v India (8pm).
WEDNESDAY: South Korea v Australia (4pm), India v New Zealand (6pm), Pakistan v Malaysia (8pm).
FRIDAY: Australia v Pakistan (4pm), New Zealand v South Korea (6pm), India v Malaysia (8pm).
P W D L F A Pts
S KOREA 1 1 0 0 6 4 3
AUSTRALIA 1 1 0 0 2 1 3
N ZEALAND 1 1 0 0 1 0 3
MALAYSIA 1 0 0 1 1 2 0
PAKISTAN 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
INDIA 1 0 0 1 4 6 0
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