NS players celebrate after scoring their second goal against UniKL in the first leg quarter-final match yesterday. YNS won 4-2. — Picture by Hazreen Mohamad
By Ajitpal Singh
YAYASAN Negri Sembilan (YNS) turned on a splendid display to edge UniKL 4-2 in an exciting quarter-final first leg encounter of the Malaysian Hockey League at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday.
UniKL were to blame for their defeat as they were hardly in the game in the opening 20 minutes and despite earning four penalty corners in the match, they could only score once from it.
However, credit to YNS goalkeeper Mohd Harfizi Baharom for his exceptional display to deny UniKL on several occasions.
Arvind opened accounts for YNS in the 16th minute before Deepak Thakur increased their tally in the 24th minute.
UniKL then woke up from their sleep and quickly reduced the deficit through Richard Patherick's penalty corner set-piece in the 33rd minute.
But all hopes of a comeback ended when YNS were awarded a penalty stroke when YNS' Mohd Zulhairi Hashim committed a foul on Deepak in the 39th minute.
Skipper Shakeel Abbasi made no mistake from the spot, putting the ball in the low left hand corner to give UniKL keeper Stephen Graham no chance before Deepak added YNS' fourth in the 69th minute.
But Phillip Stahr scored seconds before the hooter to reduce the deficit and perhaps give UniKL a fighting chance to overturn the deficit in the second leg tomorrow.
"It is always good to win the first leg and go into the second with a two-goal advantage. But it will not make us complacent as there is still plenty of hockey left to be played," said YNS advisor K. Rajan at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday.
UniKL coach Darren Smith, who was disappointed with the defeat, said his team produced one of their poorest performances yesterday.
"We did not play to our standards and the players are aware of that. But credit to YNS for their clinical finishing and we were fortunate that we got the second goal.
"We are two goals down but it gives us a fighting chance nonetheless in the second leg," said Smith.
In an earlier match, Premier Division champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club went on a rampage with an effortless 11-2 victory over Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS).
Razie Rahim took his tally to 24 goals in the tournament with a hattrick in the 18th, 29th and 70th minutes - all through penalty corner executions while Muhammad Ammerullah scored a brace in the 19th and 53rd minutes.
Other goals were from Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (fifth) Baljit Singh (seventh), Chua Boon Huat (34th), Ismail Abu (42nd), Mohd Noor Faez (65th), and Harvinder Singh (53rd). With the huge win, the second leg tomorrow is just a mere formality.
Meanwhile, defending champions Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) defeated Division One champions Armed Forces Juniors 6-0 at the KLHA Stadium.
Firhan Ashaari scored TNB's opening goal after 10 minutes before Faisal Saari added their second in the 28th minute.
In the second half, TNB increased their tempo and scored four more goals through Mahinder Singh (43rd and 60th), Faiz Helmi (46th) and Firhan (69th)
New Straits Times
