KUALA LUMPUR: Maybank created the biggest upset in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) when they came back from a goal down to stun League champions Terengganu 3-2 in the first leg semi-final match at the Kuala Terengganu Municipal Hockey Stadium.
The return leg will be played at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Friday.
In the other semi-final match, Tenaga Nasional also staged a fightback to hold overall defending champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) to a 1-1 draw.
In Kuala Terengganu, Pakistan’s Shakeel Abassi was the toast of the team, netting two goals in the third and fourth quarters to steer Maybank to only their second win in the league on Wednesday.
The Tigers defeated Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) 4-1 in the second leg quarter-finals on Sunday for a 5-4 aggregate victory.
For the fancied Terengganu, it was their second defeat as they were beaten 2-1 by Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in a league match.
Forward Fitri Saari gave Terengganu the lead in the 31st minute off a field attempt but Maybank equalised five minutes later through Jiwa Mohan off a penalty corner.
Terengganu, however, regained the lead in the 50th minute off a penalty corner converted by Baljit Singh Sarjab.
But Shakeel was on fire as he put Maybank on level terms in the 45th minute with a field attempt before netting the winner in the 58th minute off a penalty corner.
Maybank coach Wallace Tan said it is never easy to beat a strong team like Terengganu at their home.
“We were lucky to beat them as we lost to them twice in the league matches (4-3 at Bukit Jalil and 6-1 in the away match).
“We are not celebrating just yet as it is ain’t over. We still have return leg to play,” said the former national coach.
Terengganu coach Sarjit Singh, however, was not to concern with the defeat.
“We created a lot of chances but Maybank goalkeeper Moritz (Knobloch of Germany) made a number of good saves.
“Their runners also did well to stop our penalty corner set-pieces. However, I am confident we will win the return-leg and qualify for the final,” added Sarjit.
Penalty corner specialist Mohd Razie Abdul Rahim gave KLHC the lead in the 12th minute by converting a penalty corner. It was his 12th goal in the MHL.
But Tenaga fought back to equalise in the 51st minute through defender Mohd Izad Hakimi Jamaluddin.
KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj said they started off well in the first two quarters.
“But my players lost their concentration in the third and fourth quarters. We could have lost due to unforced errors we made,” said Dharmaraj.
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