KUALA LUMPUR: Newly crowned league champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) virtually sealed their place in the TNB Cup final by outplaying Universiti Teknologi Mara (UITM) 5-1 in the semi-final first leg at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
The return leg is on Saturday at the same venue.
Former international Ismail Abu (second and 18th minutes) and Jang Jong Hyun (21st and 42nd) scored a brace each for THT.
Wan Haziq Hisyamuddin Wan Ameer Ruzman pulled one back for UITM in the 56th minute before Faizal Saari completed the rout with a fifth goal in the 58th minute.
In the other semi-final first-leg match, played at the same venue, Tenaga Nasional twice took the lead in the 2-2 draw against Maybank.
Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal gave Tenaga the lead in the 19th minute off a field goal, but the Tigers levelled the score through Razie Rahim in the 30th minute.
Tenaga, who won the TNB Cup last year, however, regained the lead off a penalty corner converted by Syed Syafiq Syed Cholan in the 47th minute.
But the Tigers fought back to level the score through Muhajir Abdul Rauf in the 56th minute.
Maybank coach Azrul Affendy Bistamam praised his players for the draw.
"It was a fair result as both teams played well. We have another 60 minutes to make it count," he said after the match.
In the women's semi-finals, newly crowned league champions Negri Sembilan outplayed Terengganu Ladies Team 4-1 in today's first-leg match.
Nuramirah Shakirah Zulkifli gave Negri the lead in the second minute and added two more goals through Nur Afiqah Syahzari Azhar in the third and 23rd minutes.
Fatin Shafika Sukri scored the other goal.
Terengganu replied through Nur Syahirah Azman in the 29th minute.
Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten) Thunder, meanwhile, edged Young Tigresses 2-1 in the other first leg semi-final match in Bukit Jalil.
Young Tigresses went ahead in the eighth minute off a field attempt by Azmyra Mia Sofea Azhairy but Uniten came alive in the last four minutes to score two goals through Iren Hussin in the 56th minute and Raja Norsharim Raja Shabuddin in the 60th minute.
They return-leg matches will be played on Saturday in Bukit Jalil.