Peillat hopes to power Terengganu to Charity Shield

KUALA LUMPUR: The world’s top penalty corner specialist Gonzalo Peillat wants to get his act right to help Terengganu win the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Charity Shield match at the Batu Buruk Hockey Stadium in Kuala Terengganu today.

It was tough luck for the Argentine in the final of the Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup against Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in Kuala Lumpur last Sunday.

He scored two goals – one penalty corner and penalty stroke – for Terengganu but two of his penalty corner drag flicks hit the crossbar .

KLHC went on to win their first Alagendra Cup in sudden death penalty shootout 4-3 after both teams failed to break the 3-3 deadlock in regulation time.

In the 2015 Charity Shield match, Terengganu lost to KLHC on their own backyard 5-6 in sudden death penalty shootout after both teams were tied 2-2 after regulation time. Terengganu were also beaten 1-2 last year.

Terengganu hope to be third time lucky against KLHC and will be banking on Peillat to deliver the goals.

Peillat has been scoring consistently, netting a brace in every one of the three matches he played in the Alagendra Cup.

Peillat said that it was very unfortunate that he could not help Terengganu retain the Alagendra Cup as two of his flicks hit the crossbar in the final match.

“I hope to get it right in the Charity Shield match. I want to help Terengganu to a good start in the Premier Division. I hope to combine well with Faizal (Saari) and be more accurate in our penalty corner conversion rate,” said Peillat, who has scored 150 goals in 130 international matches for Argentina.