Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club vs. Sapura to decide Premier Division Title
Holding the same points after playing the same number of games but different goal scoring, the match between Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Sapura is likely to decide the winner in the 2011 Premier Division of the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL).
Sapura and KLHC, the two teams are scheduled to play three more games each of which the last match will be between each other. The final clash of the initial round that can be a title decider is set to play on October 9. The two squads are leading the points-chart
from the beginning of the league and interestingly theses were the finalist and runner-up teams of the last season.
KLHC, the defending double Champions before meeting with Sapura will face comparatively easy teams including University Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and Nur Insafi. Considering the current form of the KLHC, it will be an easy task for them to win the two games.
In the last five games, KLHC scored 29 goals while conceded only eight. They are currently holding top position at the points-chart, as their youngsters can play a vital role in winning the title.
On the other side, the Sapura team will face Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and Yayasan Negeri Sembilan (YNS) which are in a position to make an upset. Though they have the same 15 points after playing five games, they scored only 21 goals while received only
six.
Currently, these two squads are the best in the league and without a doubt the match between them will be worth watching. If both teams maintain their unbeaten record, the final clash will decide the fate of the title.
Sapura’s Coach I. Vicknesweran was of the opinion that the remaining games in the Premier Division will be tough competitions and they will have to show a vigilant approach. He said, “We always have to look at the first match and then plan accordingly. Tenaga
are going to be a handful considering they have a lot of national stars in their rank. This is a must win match and one that could well decide the title. There are three matches left for us and KLHC and the team who win all three will be crowned champions.”
Apart from all the views, the team of Sapura has the capability to clinch the title in the match. They have had the services of veteran players including Jiwa Mohan and S. Kuhan, Mohamed Marhan Jalil, Izwan Firdaus and Mohamed Fitri Abu Bakar. Mohamed Izzat
Rahim is also in reasonably good form after recovering from injury.
The team of TNB missed the chance to include itself into the race after they lost the first game at the hands of KLHC while in the second blow they made the game level against Maybank. They have no chance to win the title even if they edge past Sapura in
the next fixture.
The teams of UniKL and Nur Insafi are presently holding a respectful fourth and fifth place while Maybank and YNS are looking for the same spots. The mid-positions will allow them to face comparatively low-profile teams, as the top teams will face the bottom
line squads. The top seven teams will move into the knockout stage for second title of the Malaysian Hockey League.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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