South African hockey witnessed arguably its biggest-ever crowd at Randburg Hockey Stadium Tuesday night and the fans weren’t disappointed when the lads in green and gold beat Malaysia 3-1 in the fourth and final Test after leading 1-0 at half-time, a result that leaves SA 3-0 series winners.
SA won the first Test 2-1 and the second Test 3-1 while the third Test was a 4-4 draw.
SA opened the scoring thanks to Wade Paton’s 15th-minute penalty stroke after Clint Panther was upended in the strike zone.
Both sides had great chances during the match but a combination of superb goalkeeping and defending kept the scoreboard quiet.
Turnovers came and went as the game became looser but the crowd erupted in the 55th minute when SA conjured up a slide-rule move down the right for Pierre de Voux to smash the ball past goalkeeper Kairulnizam Ibrahim (2-0).
Malaysia hit back in the 57th when Chua Boon Huat set up Ahmad Tajudin Tengku’s magnificent reverse-stick blast that ripped into the net (2-1).
Malaysia won their first PC on the hour-mark but outstanding keeper Rassie Pieterse saved superbly before SA broke out fast for De Voux to get in a shot that was blocked, while Firhan Asaari came agonisingly close at the other end soon after. With three minutes left Rhett Halkett steered two Malaysian penalty corners off the goalline with remarkable skill.
And to rub salt into the wounds SA broke away with Jonty Robinson at first, then De Voux and Miguel da Graca combining, before Julian Hykes made it 3-1 with a quick-fire shot that cracked into the backboard.
The teams meet again in Pool B at the World League semi-finals in Johor Bahru, Malaysia on June 30 and SA will go in with the psychological advantage.
Mugg & Bean Player of the Series was SA captain Austin Smith.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
In the second minute Miguel da Graca and Frankie Pretorius combined and Clint Panther came close to scoring but won a penalty corner. The SA variation was a superb innovation and keeper Kairulnizam Ibrahim did well to save. Pierre de Voux forced another PC and Ibrahim brought off a superlative stick save from an Austin Smith drag-flick rocket.
Controlling possession and being patient had Malaysia on the back foot as SA moved left and right with great ball speed but an aerial pass evaded two SA defenders and Chua Boon Huat forced keeper Rassie Pieterse into a well-timed clearance.
Both sides were probing with quick exchanges of passes and with SA down to 10 men after a green card, Nabil Fiqri got in a snap-shot that Pieterse palmed away. There was huge disappointment at the other end when Panther scored but the whistle had gone for a deliberate stick check and Wade Paton buried the penalty stroke for 1-0 after 15 minutes, SA scoring the first goal of the match for the first time in the series.
Then the dangerous Fiqri was unlucky at the other end with his rebound shot but SA were back in the goal hunt when Da Graca and De Voux combined to win SA’s third PC after 22 minutes. Smith’s low flick was blocked by first-wave defender Razie Abdul Rahim.
Malaysia were still finding holes, though, but Pretorius smashed a diagonal to Hykes whose deflection was just saved by the keeper before Faizal Saari’s delicate touch whistled past the SA goalbox by the half-time whistle.
