Thunderbolt lift Milo Cup
Defender fires winner to break UNIKL hearts
IPOH: Defender Mohd Aminudin Mohd Zain was the toast of Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School Sstmi-thunderbolt after he scored the winning goal in the second half to help his team edge arch rivals Universiti Kualalumpur (uni kl) 2-1 in the final of the Milo Cup at the Azlan Shah Stadium yesterday.
It was heartbreak for UNIKL as they also lost to Sstmi-thunderbolt in the final last year on penalty strokes after the game ended 2-2 after extra time.
UNIKL also lost the Division One title to Sstmi-thunderbolt in Johor last month. The two teams were equal on points at the end of the league but the Johor team won the title as they scored one goal more than the university side.
Sstmi-thunderbolt pocketed RM25,000 for their efforts while UNIKL took home RM15,000
In the final yesterday, UNIKL took the lead through Fahed Saifullah Shahrom Jamil in the sixth minute off a penalty corner.
Thunderbolt stormed back in the second half to equalise in the 41st minute through national forward Mohd Firhan Ashaari, who was also named the Best Player of the MJHL. It is the second consecutive year that he won the award in the Under-19 league.
And Aminudin sealed the win in the 61st minute off a penalty corner.
Sstmi-thunderbolt are the fourth team in the history of the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) to bag the double. The other teams who achieved the feat are Electrical Switchgear Automation (ESA) of Penang, Old La Sallian Association of Klang and Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS). Sstmi-thunderbolt coach Wan Roslan Wan Abdul Rahman was delighted with the double. “It was the best achievement for us since featuring in the MJHL in 2000. Wewon the double because we had the services of national forward Firhan.
“He made a big difference to the team as he motivates his team-mates and he creates the chances for us,” said Wan Roslan, who has been coaching the sports school since 2002.
Firhan, who was dropped from the national team for the Olympic qualifier in Dublin, which begins on March 10, said that he made up for that disappointment by becoming the first player to win the Best Player Award for the second straight year.
UNIKL, despite taking a lead in the first half, should blame themselves for the loss as they failed to convert four penalty corners in the second half.
UNIKL team manager Amir Azhar Ibrahim was disappointed with his players as their initial target was to bag the double but they will return home to Kuala Lumpur without a silverware for the first time in three years.
“We failed to capitalise on our chances and also wasted a number of penalty corners in the second half,” said Amir.