Draw against Olak dims Pahang team’s title hopes
KUALA LUMPUR: The Pahang Sports School (SSP)-MSP-Thunderbolt’s title hopes are as good as gone.
The Pahang side could only draw 3-3 against Olak-Tigers in their Division One match in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium yesterday.
With defending champions Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI)-Thunderbolt leading the 10-team standings with 21 points from seven matches, the Pahang Sports School needed to beat Olak to take the title fight down to the wire.
Instead, the east coast team now have only 16 points from seven matches.
With both teams having two matches to go, all SSTMI need to do to keep the Division One crown for a fifth consecutive time is to beat the Pahang Sports School when they clash at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium tomorrow.
The two teams will wrap up their fixtures on Sunday, with SSTMI facing Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) in Bukit Jalil and the Pahang Sports School taking on Politeknik Malaysia in Kuantan.
Pahang Sports School coach Mohd Sufian Mohamed was clearly annoyed with his players’ performance against Olak.
“We missed a number of scoring chances. We failed to score a single field goal against Olak.
“With the draw, our hopes of winning the league title is as good as over ... although we have two matches left.”
Olak took the lead through Nur Najibrullah Ramle in the sixth minute before Pahang Sports School went 2-1 ahead through Mohd Idris Samad’s two penalty corner goals in the 19th and 23rd minutes.
Although Olak levelled the score through Mohd Hameran Anuar in the 28th minute, Idris again spoiled their party – converting a penalty corner to put Pahang in the lead again at 3-2.
But Nur Najibrullah had the last say when his 69th minute goal snatched a draw for Olak.
In the other match, Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS)-Thunderbolt came back from a goal down to beat Politeknik Malaysia 4-2 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil for their fifth win.
Muhd Noor Firdaus Rosdi (5th, 67th) scored a brace for BJSS while Arif Sabron (28th) and Muhd Hafiizhuddin Zaidi (34th) chipped in with one apiece.