Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) bangkit daripada ketinggalan satu gol untuk mencatatkan kemenangan 3-1 ke atas seteru utama Liga Perdana, TNB, semalam.
Kemenangan itu pastinya cukup istimewa kerana ini kali pertama UniKL beraksi di venue milik mereka sendiri iaitu Stadium Tengku Abdullah, Bangi.
Bagaimanapun ketua jurulatih UniKL, Arul Selvaraj mengakui sedikit kecewa dengan prestasi pemainnya di suku pertama.
“Barisan pemain saya memberi banyak ruang kepada pemain TNB di suku pertama. Tetapi rentak perlawanan berbeza di suku kedua apabila pemain mula beraksi dengan baik termasuk sangat berdisiplin ketika bertahan.
“Barisan pemain import terutamanya mempunyai tahap keyakinan yang tinggi dan mereka tidak berasa tertekan meskipun pada satu ketika kita ketinggalan. Saya juga memuji barisan pemain muda seperti Muhamad Hafiz Zainol dan Faridzul Afiq kerana sering memberi tekanan kepada pihak lawan.
“Sudah tentu kemenangan ini juga cukup bermakna kerana kali pertama kita beraksi di halaman sendiri. Tahniah kepada pihak pengurusan UniKL yang berjaya merealisasikan impian ini,” katanya.
TNB bermula baik apabila di depan pada minit ke-8 selepas pemain muda, Syarman Mat Tee memanfaatkan peluang situasi kelam kabut dalam kawasan D.
Gol awal itu nyata memberi lebih keyakinan kepada TNB yang dilihat terus melakukan asakan bertali arus namun beberapa cubaan terbaik mereka gagal disempurnakan dengan baik.
UniKL berpeluang untuk menyamakan kedudukan apabila memperoleh pukulan sudut penalti di awal separuh masa kedua tetapi ia disia-siakan begitu saja.
Nik Aiman Nik Rozemi hampir menambah gol kedua untuk TNB namun tolakannya pada minit ke-32 berjaya ditampan penjaga gol UniKL, David Harte.
UniKL terus mensia-siakan peluang selepas itu termasuk dua pukulan sudut penalti. Â Gol yang ditunggu-tunggu UniKL akhirnya terhasil juga selepas Muhammad Razie Abd Rahim menyempurnakan tolakan Martijn Havenga minit ke-42 untuk kedudukan terikat 1-1.
Kedua-dua pasukan kemudian dilihat saling memberi tekanan untuk mencari gol kemenangan di suku keempat.
Havenga akhirnya melegakan kem UniKL apabila menyumbang gol kedua selepas melakukan tolakan rendah menerusi pukulan sudut penalti minit ke-53.
Hafiz yang bersendirian dalam kawasan D TNB mengukuhkan kedudukan UniKL apabila menyumbat gol ketiga minit ke-57 selepas menerima hantaran dari jauh.
UniKL sink TNB with three second half goals
Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) made a stupendous comeback from a goal down to sink Tenaga Nasional Berhad 3-1 in the TNB-MHL Premier League match at the Tengku Abdullah Hockey Stadium in Bangi yesterday.
There was a lot of promise of an exciting encounter between the two sides, who last played each other at the semi-finals stage of the Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup on Jan 4 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil. Â TNB emerged victorious then with a 3-0 win.
UniKL, backed by six of their foreign signings, also saw the return of Ireland goalkeeper David Harte following a mild thigh injury. Leading their campaign in midfield and defence are the Dutch trio of Martijn Havenga, Valentin Verga and Robbert Kemperman whilst Australians Kieran Govers and Timothy Deavin also played pivotal roles.
On the local front, national team captain Sukri Mutalib, UniKL captain Marhan Abdul Jalil and drag-flick specialist Razie Abdul Rahim gave their best as UniKL secured three points.
“Disappointing from the way we started. I think we gave a lot of space. TNB is a team with World Cup players and Junior Olympic players. They took advantage of the first half and after a goal down the players stepped on the pressure to get the three goals,” said UniKL coach A. Arul Selvaraj.
“It was a great comeback from the players who are very experienced in this kind of situation and for me it was a worthy win in our first match playing in our own stadium,” he added.
Playing on home turf for the first time in the league, it was UniKL who had the first shy at the goal in the fourth minute but Verga’s soft push went wide.
But it was TNB who scored first when Syarman Mat Tee’s placed the ball past Harte for a field goal. TNB went on to earn three penalty corners in the first half but failed to utilise the opportunities.
After an uneventful first half, UniKL turned on the power in the second half, earned three penalty corners in the process but were denied by their own failure to make a clean stop of the ball in the circle from a push on the line.
Pumped up by their ability to manoeuvre deep into TNB fortress, UniKL went all out in search of the equaliser and were rewarded in the 42nd minute when drag-flick specialist Razie deflected a reverse stick shot from the left of the circle past goalkeeper S. Kumar.
TNB threw back a strong challenge in the last few minutes of the third quarter and their efforts bore fruit at the hooter with penalty corner but lacked the finishing touch.
UniKL, however, made a stupendous comeback in the third and fourth quarter of the game. Havenga extended the lead via a penalty corner in the 53rd minute and Muhammad Hafiz Zainol added the third four minutes later from a field goal.
TNB head coach, Nur Saiful Zaini, echoed: “In the first and second quarters we controlled the game. But we missed a lot of chances too. Towards the end of the third and fourth quarters UniKL started attacking and found the going easy by scoring three goals. I think overall the younger boys had a good game against a very strong side.”
UniKL’s next match is against Nur Insafi (January 25) and TNB Thunderbolts (January 27). Both matches will be played at the same venue.
