Maybank looking to uphold winning streak in second-leg of the malaysian Hockey League (MHL) Quarter-finals
Maybank, the team that defeated University Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) in the first-leg quarter-final match, is looking to uphold its winning streak in the next match to be played at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil, on October 15.
Maybank’s coach, Wallace Tan, despite winning the first-leg match with a heavy margin, is not ready to rest his players in the next fixture.
Earlier on, they whitewashed UniKL by 5-0 in the earliest quarter-finals of the league.
The coach explained that they took their opportunities well against UniKL, whereas their opponents failed to avail any chance.
Wallace was of the opinion that they will have to stop their rivals from scoring an early goal in the second-leg competition.
In his views, five-goals are not a very safe margin to confirm their place in the next stage. If Maybank could score five goals, so could their contenders, he added.
He was not ready to comment about the semi-finals yet, as two halves are still left to play.
Wallace maintained that he would pick his best line-up and play their traditional game. He does not want to make changes in the squad, as he wants them to continue their momentum, he added.
Amir Azhar Ibrahim, UniKL’s manager, was not happy with the decisions of the referees. He believed that the referees targeted them, as UniKL does not have national players in the team.
He observed, “Perhaps because we do not have star players or those who will question the umpires on the pitch is why we are victims of such decisions. Our conscience is clear as we are here to promote the sport and giving the youngsters a platform to display
their ability”.
In his opinion, to make a comeback into the match needs a great deal of struggle, which they could not accomplish in the first fixture.
He stated that thirty five minutes were not enough in some cases to make a comeback into the game, as they are not only required to score goals but also tackle the attacks from the opponents, he underlined.
Irrespective of the results, Maybank will continue to play the game quite offensively in order to secure a place in the semi-final round.
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