Tenaga player Jang Jong-hyun (in white) attempts to break free from Maybank's defence. – Hokita
KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) powered into the TNB Cup final after overcoming a spirited challenge from Maybank in a fiery semi-final at the National Hockey Stadium 2 in Bukit Jalil.
Tenaga made an explosive start, with South Korean international Jang Jong-hyun opening the scoring in the second minute.
Maybank, however, were quick to respond as Ashraf Hamsani struck 11 minutes later to level the score.
The match intensified in the second quarter, with Nik Aiman Rozemi firing Tenaga back into the lead in the 17th minute. But Maybank refused to back down and Shafiq Hassan equalised once again in the 26th minute with a clinical penalty corner strike.
Sensing the need to regain control, Tenaga upped the tempo in the third quarter, piling on the pressure and netting twice, first through Nik Aiman and then Norsyafiq Sumantri, to take a 4-2 lead.
However, they were dealt a setback in the final quarter when Jong-hyun's foul on Amirullah Zainol led to a penalty stroke for Maybank. Kieran Govers made no mistake from the spot, reducing the deficit to 4-3.
The tension escalated further when a heated clash between Shello Silverius and Jack Hayes resulted in a video referral, which saw Hayes handed a red card for allegedly elbowing Silverius. This left Maybank with just 10 men for the remainder of the game.
Tenaga capitalised on the numerical advantage, and in the 51st minute, Azrai coolly slotted home after being set up by Ramadan Rosli.
Maybank, undeterred, hit back again through Muhammad Aslam Hanafiah in the 54th minute to keep the contest alive.
But their bold move to play without a goalkeeper in the dying moments backfired, as Tenaga earned a penalty corner. Jong-hyun stepped up to fire home their sixth goal before Azrai completed his hat-trick a minute before the final whistle.
With a commanding 7-4 victory, Tenaga booked their spot in the final as they set their sights on defending their title.
Earlier, Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) secured their place in the final with a narrow 1-0 win over Matador Hockey Club.
