IT WAS a slow start, but Malaysia picked up after the second half to beat Oman 6-1 in the World League Round Two hockey match in Dhaka, Bangladesh, yesterday.
Again, a lower ranked team managed to hold Malaysia to a 1-0 lead in the first quarter, as only Shahril Saabah was on target in the 11th minute off a close tap-in.
Oman are ranked 31st in the World while Malaysia 13th. It was the same script against World No 32 Bangladesh where Malaysia could only win 3-0 on Saturday.
At the half-time break, Malaysia held a slim 2-0 lead, after Razie Rahim finally scored off his fifth penalty corner attempt in the 26th minute.
Tengku Ahamd Tajuddin scored the third in the 33rd minute, off a penalty corner set-piece while the other goals were scored by Aiman Nik Rosemi (42nd, 53rd) and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (48th).
Oman got their consolation off Muhammad Al-Lawati 37th minute.
In an earlier match, No 18 ranked China were beaten in sudden-death shoot-out by No 20 ranked Egypt.
The match ended 2-2, and the five-man shoot-out also saw a 2-2 deadlock before Egypt won in sudden-death.
Egypt received two points for their effort, while China one point.
STANDINGS
GROUP A
P W D L F A Pts
MALAYSIA 2 2 0 0 9 1 6
OMAN 2 1 0 1 8 6 3
BANGLADESH 2 1 0 1 5 4 3
FIJI 2 0 0 2 1 12 0
GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
EGYPT 2 1 1 0 8 4 5
CHINA 2 1 1 0 9 5 4
GHANA 2 1 0 1 8 11 3
SRI LANKA 2 0 0 2 6 11 0
Note: There is a shoot-out in the event of a draw, and the winning team gets two points.
RESULTS: Group A: Oman 1 Malaysia 6, Bangladesh 5 Fiji 1; Group B: Ghana 5 Sri Lanka 4, Egypt 2 China 2 (Egypt and China draw 2-2 in shoot-out, Egypt win sudden-death).
MONDAY: REST DAY
TUESDAY: Group A -- Malaysia v Fiji (11am), Bangladesh v Oman (6pm); Group B: China v Sri Lanka (1.30pm), Ghana v Egypt (3.45pm).
Note: Malaysian time.
