KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) proved that they are a team to be reckoned with in this season’s Malaysia Hockey Premier League when they notched their third consecutive victory by defeating their ‘smaller brother’ TNB Thunderbolts 3-1 earlier today.
The victory sees Nor Saiful Zaini Nasiruddin’s team take the maximum nine points which puts them at the summit of the league.
Before this TNB scored victories over UniKL, defeating the university team 3-2 and overcoming Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) 4-2.
Saiful, who is a former international admits that his players played with confidence throughout the three matches so far.
"Early on in the season, we did not expect to be able to pick up maximum points from our first three matches.
"However, in all three matches, it was clearly evident that each and every player has fit into the team well with good camaraderie and team spirit.
"This is actually our fifth match including the two matches played during our challenge in the Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup competition. It is obvious that we have what it takes to take on any team after this,” he said after the match against TNB Thunderbolts at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
During the match, Norshafiq Sumantri broke the deadlock with a field goal in the 11th minute, but Thunderbolts’ Muhammad Hazzim Amin Hafidz levelled the score just minutes later with a field goal of his own in the 19th minute.
Syed Mohamad Syafiq Syed Cholan then restored TNB’s lead thanks to a penalty corner only two minutes later before Muhammad Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal sealed the win with the third goal in the 60th minute.
Meanwhile, at the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Stadium, league champions KLHC failed to capitalise on their early lead over UniKL where they were leading the match 3-0 at one point before a spirited comeback by the university team resulted in a 3-3 draw.