Time not on Tenaga and Maybank's side..

MAYBANK and Tenaga need to buck-up fast, but unfortunately, time is not on their side as they prepare to face Malaysia Hockey League giants in the TNB Cup semi-finals on Wednesday.
  Maybank travel to Kuala Terengganu to play League champions Terengganu HT (THT), while Tenaga play Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) at Bukit Jalil.
  However, both the return legs will be played at Bukit Jalil on Friday.
  Maybank morphed just in time to reverse their 1-3 defeat to UniKL and romped into the semi-finals on a 5-4 aggregate, and THT coach Sarjit Singh knows he can't take the Tigers for granted.
  For the record, THT beat Maybank 4-3 and then 6-1 in the two-round League.
  "Maybank showed their classy side when they overcame a two-goal deficit to play in the semi-final. UniKL is not an easy team, but Maybank made them look bad with some powerful team-work.
  "I think the Tigers have arrived at the right time, and we will not take them for granted even though we have a good record against them. Records don't matter in any knock-out situation," said Sarjit.
  The bad news for Maybank coach Wallace Tan is that all THT players are free from injury and suspension.
  "Credit to my players for rising to the occasion and earning a semi-finals berth. But THT are in a different league all together, and playing them in Kuala Terengganu will not be easy, as we were hit 6-1 there in Round Two.
  "But having said that, we are just two matches away from playing in the final, and have nothing to lose but much to gain," said Wallace.
   As for Tenaga coach Nor Saiful Zaini: "We did just enough to reach the semi-finals. Despite winning both legs against Sapura, I’m not satisfied with my team’s performance. We gave away a couple of soft goals and we also failed to convert many chances in both the matches. We have to improve both the chinks to stay alive in the semi-finals.”
  KLHC hold the upper-hand as they beat Tenaga 5-3 in the Charity Shield, and 3-1 in Round Two.
  FIXTURES -- Dec 10: Semi-finals First Leg: Terengganu HT v Maybank (Kuala Terengganu, 5pm); Tenaga v Kuala Lumpur HC (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 6pm).
  Dec 12 -- Return Leg: Maybank v Terengganu HT (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 6pm); Kuala Lumpur HC v Tenaga (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 8pm).

Amazing Maybank Tigers

MAYBANK Tigers turned the tables on UniKL when they won the second leg TNB Cup knock out 4-1 to advance into the semi-finals of the Malaysia Hockey League on a 5-4 aggregate.
  It was an amazing comeback, as Maybank lost the first leg 3-1, and will now meet League champions Terengganu Hockey Team in the semis.
  In the other knock-out, Tenaga Nasional beat Sapura 4-2 to advance on an 8-5 aggregate and will square off against Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club in the other semis.
  "This is our first win of the season (as Maybank drew 5 and lost 5 in the League) and it came at a crucial time as my players went all out to claim a spot in the semifinals. They knew it was their last chance to redeem their season, and after a 1-3 defeat in the first leg, they decided to give their all and reverse the club's fortunes.
  "Now we have a wek's rest before we play against League champions THT, and again, anything can happen as my players received a big boost today (yesterday)," said Maybanl coach Wallace Tan.
  The Maybank goals were scored by Hafifihafiz Hanafi (seventh, 45th) and Mohamed Zulhairi (11th, 42nd).
    Kevin Lim (13th) scored for UniKL.
  As for Tenaga, they got their goals off Azril Misron (ninth), Najib Abu HAssan (25th),    Norhizzat Sumantri (36th) and Izzad Hakimi (57th).
   The Sapura goals were scored by Khasif Ali (29th) and Shahzad Aamir (37th).
  RESULTS: Second Leg: Sapura  2 Tenaga 4.
  (Tenaga win 8-5 on aggregate)
Maybank 4 UniKL 1.
  (Maybank win 5-4 on aggregate).

TNB Cup: Slim leads...

THE Malaysia Hockey League TNB Cup knock-out stage is still an open affair, as slim leads were taken in the first leg on Friday.
  Today, Sapura will attempt to turn the tables on Tenaga after losing 4-3, while Maybank will have to play the match of their season to upset UniKL who hold a 3-1 score.
  The top-two teams Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) rest at the sidelines as their semi-final opponents battle it out today as winners of the UniKL-Maybank match will meet THT, while KLHC await the winners of the Sapura-TNB knock-out.
  UniKL will be attempting to rewrite their club history by making the MHL semi-finals since making their debut in 2009.
  "We will definitely be preparing for another win tomorrow (today) and we are willing to play ugly if necessary. Ugly in the sense that we will be playing hard and going for every ball, not dirty,” said UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj.
   “I anticipate Maybank to search for an early goal so we will devise a plan to address that and to come out from the pressure Maybank is expected to apply early in the match. UniKL thrive on teamwork so I have to make sure that everyone are on the same page tactically and mentally.”
   Meanwhile, TNB are faced with a trickier task as they hold a one-goal lead:
“The second-leg is going to be very tough and we need to do our best. Although we did not perform well defensively in the first-leg, I’m happy that we were able to score four goals. We have struggled in that aspect throughout the season and that should be the turning point for us to chase for a ticket to play in the semi-finals,” said Tenaga coach Nor Saiful Zaini.
  TODAY: Sapura (3) v Tenaga (4) (6pm, Pitch II); Maybank (1) v UniKL (3) (8pm, Pitch II ).
  Note: First Leg scores in parenthesis.

UniKL 3 Maybank 1

UNIKL took a step closer to the semi-finals when they beat Maybank 3-1 in the knock-out stage of the TNB Cup at the national stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
  In the other match, Tenaga Nasional edged Sapura 4-3 to keep their fire burning.
  However, UniKL did not have it easy as Hafifi Hafiz gave Maybank the lead in the 24th minute off a field goal, but the Tigers campaign fizzled out after that.
  Patrick Schultz gave UniKL a life-line with a field goal in the 32 minute, and Sufi Ismat (46th) and Phillipp Stahr (52nd) made sure full points head towards the university side before they clash again in the return leg on Sunday.
  UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj was pleased as punch: "It not over yet, but we did what was needed to take the three points into the return leg. After a low-key Round One in the League, we came back strongly in Round Two, and now game no 11 we have shown that we have improved with every game."
   And Arul is already planning for the return leg: "We will need to keep our feet firmly on the ground, as there is the second leg to play Sunday. But I am confident my players will not disappoint."
   The top-two teams Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) rest at the sidelines as their semi-final opponents battle it out this weekend as winners of the UniKL-Maybank match will meet THT, while KLHC awaits the winners of the Sapura-TNB knock-out.
   The Tenaga goals were scored by  Shahril Saabah (17th), Amin Rahim (30th, 41st), Ramadan Rosli (54th); while the Sapura goals were scored by Muhammad Zubair(fourth), Khasif Ali (27th) and Izwan Firdaus (53rd).
   RESULTS: Today: UniKL 3 Maybank 1; Tenaga 4 Sapura 3.
  Sunday: Sapura v Tenaga (6pm, Pitch II); Maybank v UniKL (8pm, Pitch II ) .

UniKL aim to tame Tigers..

HIGH-FLYING UniKL will tread with caution when they face wounded Maybank Tigers in the knock-out stage of the TNB Cup at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
  The other Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division knock out will be between Tenaga Nasional and Sapura.
  The top-two teams Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) rest at the sidelines as their semi-final opponents battle it out this weekend as winners of the UniKL-Maybank match will meet THT, while KLHC awaits the winners of the Sapura-TNB knock-out.
  Even though entering the crucial stage at the back of a 5-1 win over KLHC, UniKL have their feet rooted on the ground: "We're very happy with the high note 5-1 win over KLHC, but we know the knock-out is a different game all together.  "Maybank is well known for doing well in the knock-out stages in previous seasons, and being winless (five draws) this season, the Tigers will definitely be out to make an impact as well,” say UniKL Hockey president Amir Azhar Ibrahim.
  For the record, UniKL and Maybank played to 1-1 and 0-0 draws in the League.
  UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj said they want to play in the semi-finals: We have continued to improve as a team and are finally getting the results we deserve. That result against KLHC will serve as a strong motivation for us,” he said.
   Arul, who is a former Maybank player, said he is well aware of what they are capable of.
   “They have talented players such like Shakeel Abassi (Pakistan) and Jiwa Mohan. I also know that Maybank are extremely thorough when it comes to preparing for big games like this. But instead of focusing on our opponents, I would much rather focus on my team and ensure that we give a good performance. That is how I have approached all of our previous games”, said Arul.
  In the other knock-out, Tenaga coach Nor Saiful Zaini said finishing third in the League was a disappointment they want to erase in the TNB Cup.
  “Our goal was to at least finish in second place. But unfortunately that did not happen and now we must do our best to book a place in the final of the TNB Cup. It won’t be easy as every team will be battling hard to progress to the next round,” said Nor Saiful.
  For the record, Tenaga hold a 1-0 and 2-0 win record over Sapura.
  FIXTURES: Today: UniKL v Maybank (6pm, Pitch II ); Tenaga v Sapura (8pm, Pitch II).
  Sunday: Maybank v UniKL (8pm, Pitch II ); Sapura v Tenaga (6pm, Pitch II).