SAPURA-KLHC final

RESULTS: Semi-finals second leg:
Tenaga Nasional 0 Sapura 2
(Sapura win on 4-2 aggregate)
Yayasan Negri Sembilan 2 Kuala Lumpur Hockey
Club 4
(KLHC win on 6-3 aggregate)


SAPURA'S Pakistan import Rehan Butt delivered a
brace to beat Tenaga Nasional 2-0 and take his
team into the final of the TNB Cup on Saturday on
4-2 aggregate.
In the other semi-finals, Kuala Lumpur Hockey
Club (KLHC) made sure with deft touches to
outclass Yayasan Negri Sembilan (YNS) 4-2 for a 6-3
aggregate win, and keep their hope of a double
alive.
Sapura had the upper hand for 30 minutes, but
were in deep trouble in the last five minutes as
Tenaga Nasional won four consecutive penalty
corners.
However, there was a slight commotion after
Tenaga were awarded the third penalty corner in
the 33rd minute.
Sapura's S. Kuhan called for a walk-out, as he was
unhappy with the call as he felt Tenaga's Faizal
Saari took a dive.
Sapura players were coaxed to return to the
match after a few minutes, and they dedended both
the ensuing penalty corners and the score remained
0-0 into the breather.
But the tempo completely changed in the second
half, as Sapura again went on the offensive and
their Pakistan import Rehan Butt nailed the lead off
a swift field attempt in the 36th minute.
Tenaga made a concerted effort to score the
eqauliser and came within a whisker when they
were awarded a penalty stroke in the 58th minute
after a botched penalty corner attempt.
Faizal Saari stepped up to the spot, but flicked
straignt towards Sapura goalkeeper David James
and they lost a golden opportunity.
And with eight minutes remaining, Rehan again
delivered with a deft touch to take Sapura into the
final.
"My players were warriors, as they came back
from two goals down to hold Tenaga 2-2 in the first
leg. And then, they played their hearts out to win
the second leg.
"I feel really proud of them, as they raised their
game and avoided a disaster by keeping their heads
cool. Now, we are looking forward to win the
Overall title which we last did in 2006," said Sapura
coach I. Vickneswaran.
In the second semi-finals, YNS gave away too
much possession in the first half and were punished
dearly.
Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin scored in the second
minute, and Kelvinder Singh made it 2-0 in the 22nd
minute.
Tengku was again on target in the 32nd minute to
make it 3-0, before Redza Maadun pulled one back
for YNS.
However, Ahmad Anuar Sham delivered another
blow to YNS in the 45th minute off a deflection, and
the match was all over, even though Shakeel Abbasi
scored YNS' second goal in the 67th minute.
March 19: Final -- Sapura v Kuala Lumpur Hockey
Club (Tun Razak Stadium, 8.30pm); Third-Fourth:
Tenaga Nasional v Yayasan Negri Sembilan (Tun
Razak Stadium, 6.00pm).