Rampaging Terengganu
Defending champs sail through, Sapura struggle to march into final
KUALA LUMPUR: Defending champions Terengganu and Sapura have qualified for the TNB Cup final after contrasting wins in the second leg of the semi-finals at the KL Hockey Stadium.
Terengganu trounced Maybank 8-4 in the return leg for a 14-5 aggregate win.
Sapura, on the other hand, lost 3-1 to Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in the return leg to be tied at 4-4 on aggregate. Sapura then won the penalty shootout 4-2.
It will be the first meeting between the two teams in the final.
Terengganu had little trouble seeing off Maybank, having already held a 6-1 advantage from the first leg.
The east coast team got their goals through Argentine import Nicholas Enrique Torre (eighth minute), Fitri Saari (36th), Jang Jung-hyun (38th, 45th, 56th), Faizal Saari (39th, 43rd) and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (54th) while Maybank got theirs through Ignacio Santiago (49th), Mohd Syafiq (50th), Mohd Riduan Nasir (58th) and Hafifihafiz Hanafi (60th).
The other semi-final proved to be more thrilling, with Sapura – who lifted the title for a second time when they last made the final in 2006 – needing a shootout to check into the final.
Sapura went into the match on a high, finishing second in the Premier Division and lifting the inaugural Tan Sri P. Alagendra Knockout Trophy.
Instead, they were pushed all the way by KLHC, who got their goals through Ali Shan and Nam Hyunwoo (two goals). Sapura’s lone strike came through Khairul Izwan.
In the shootout, Sapura can consider themselves lucky as Phillip Burrows, Oscar Wookey, Gurbaj Singh and Faiz Helmi Jali were clinical.
KLHC, however, only had two players – Mohd Meor Azuan Hassan and Harvinder Singh – hitting the target.
Sapura team manager Louis Gregory admitted that his players made it difficult for themselves.
“I wanted them to be on the offensive, but they started defending. We were bad in the early stages, but luckily we managed to hold on till the end.
“We have a day’s rest before the final and to get ready. This match is a good lesson for the players,” said Louis.
Meanwhile, the President’s Cup final will be between SSTMI and TNB-Thunderbolt.
SSTMI defeated UiTM-KPT 6-2 for a 9-6 aggregate win while TNB beat Politeknik Malaysia 6-3 for a 9-5 aggregate.