SOJC: MALAYSIA TASTE FIRST VICTORY WITH 4-2 WIN OVER NEW ZEALAND

JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- After going through two matches, the national junior team finally managed to secure their first victory after defeating New Zealand 4-2 in the third match of the Sultan of Johor Cup Under-21 Hockey Championship (SOJC) at Taman Daya Hockey Stadium, tonight.

The first half saw both teams struggling to find the opening goal while trying to adjust the pace of the game.

However, as soon as the second half began, player wearing jersey 28, P. Naaveenesh, brought cheers when he scored two field goals in the 16th and 19th minutes.

Less than a minute later, the Young Tigers squad continued to pile up another goal when Ammar Qusyairi Abd Halim added a third goal, also through a field goal in the 19th minute.

However, the Kiwis under Mike Delaney found their first goal in the third quarter thanks to Javahn Jones' goal from a penalty corner in the 44th minute.

Entering the final quarter, the Malaysian junior team was shocked when The Black Sticks closed the gap with a second goal through a penalty corner in the 47th minute by Rocco Ludolph.

However, with the last three minutes remaining, the advantage turned out to be in favour of the Malaysian team by clinching the fourth goal through a field goal by Muhammad Danish Irfan Muhammad Saufi in the 57th minute until the end of the game.

Meanwhile, head coach Nor Saiful Zaini Nasiruddin was satisfied with the players' performance after recording a victory over New Zealand, but stressed that there were still many aspects that needed to be improved ahead of the meeting against Great Britain tomorrow.

“The good thing is that we planned the game well and successfully executed it. The players in this team are quick learners, but there were things that happened that were beyond our expectations, such as when we were leading 3-0, New Zealand came back to score twice, so it shows that we still have a lot to learn.

“Players need to know how to control the game when leading, stay calm, look for additional goals, and lock down the game,” he said.

When asked about the weaknesses in the defence, he admitted that there was still room for improvement even though the team showed a positive performance overall.

“In the fourth quarter, our defence was still porous. Not just the defence, but the entire pattern of play needs to be improved. The mistakes did not come from one player, but the team as a whole.

“We will re-evaluate the match footage to improve our weaknesses ahead of the important match against Great Britain tomorrow. Great Britain is a good team and they must have seen our weaknesses. We will study their tactics and improve what is needed,” he said.

-- BERNAMA