* Malaysia register their biggest over win Singapore
*Faizal Saari hammers six goals to take his personal tally to nine
Malaysia, the hot favourites, gave Singapore a lesson in the stick and ball game and came off with a mammoth score of 16-1 in a Group A match in the on-going World Hockey League Second Round at the Sengkang Stadium in Singapore on Tuesday.
The massive win came in the wake of Malaysia’s 7-0 drubbing of Oman, also their biggest win over the Gulf nation on Monday as the Malaysians kept their winning ways. Malaysia complete their group matches with a match against winless Mexico at the same venue on Thursday.
The toast of Malaysia’s big win was Faizal Saari, often dubbed the “problem boy” of Malaysian hockey. However, Faizal, who has promised not to get into trouble in Singapore, showed his class and scoring prowess with six goals against Singapore to take his personal tally to nine goals and is the tournament’s leading scorer at this stage.
Faizal opened the floodgates in the sixth minute and that was all he needed to get into the scoring act with five more goals which came in the 17th, 25th, 31st, 32nd and 50th minutes. Malaysia’s other goals came from Firhan Ashaari (13th, 24th) Razie Abdul Rahim (23ed, 52nd), Haziq Samsul (36th, 53rd), Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (58th, 59th) while Marhan Mohd Jalio and Izwan Firdaus Ahmad Tajuddin got their name into the scoresheet with goals in the 42nd and 44th minutes respectively.
Singapore’s consolation goal came from Ian Vanderput who was on target in the 33rd minute.
National coach Tai Beng Hai was pleased with the huge score sand said: “The big win is not a surprise when you get into the rhythm. But you must not forget the quarter-finals are the most crucial and we have to stay focused on the next match.”
In another Group A match Omar defeat Ukraine 2-1 to move second in the table with six points.
