PETALING JAYA: First time’s the charm as Selangor chalked up a straight-forward 2-1 win over Kuala Lumpur to lift their first-ever MHC-Milo National Under-16 hockey title.
Both teams went into the final looking to stamp their mark at the Kangar Hockey Stadium in Perlis.
Selangor drew first blood when Umar Hakim Ahmad Robangi fired home a field goal in the 28th minute. They made it 2-0 when of Muhammad Nurasyraf scored off a penalty corner in the extra minutes of the first-half.
But KL were not ready to go down without a fight and Kavinash Panicker reduced the deficit with a field goal in the 38th minute.
Selangor, however, hung on for victory.
“It was a great match, very close. But I’m so proud of my boys. They put up a spirited display. They listened to our instructions and absorbed the pressure. Cooler heads ... that’s what got us the victory today,” said Selangor coach Wan Samsuri Wan Hassan.
Despite the loss, KL coach K. Embaraj preferred to look on the brighter side, praising his boys for “learning to play hockey”.
“We have seven boys who are under-15 ... at this age, the boys have to learn to play under pressure. And today (yesterday) was that match,” said Embaraj.
“The pressure effected our play, and they found it hard having to play under pressure and execute skills. But I’m still proud of the boys.”
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