Kuala Lumpur redeemed its pride after a shock 0-7 defeat against Young Tigress by getting the better of Terengganu in a 2-1 win today at the Johor Hockey Stadium in Taman Daya, Johor Bahru.
Champions in 2018 and 2021, Kuala Lumpur climbed to second spot in the Group B standings on four points – five behind Young Tigress who sealed their third consecutive victory with a 4-0 score against Negeri Sembilan.
Coached by Qasidah Najwa, KL and the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) team played to a 2-2 draw in their first match of the tournament.
Puteri Farhana Abdul Syukur converted a penalty corner in the eighth minute to push KL into the lead but Terengganu’s Fatin Naimah Zaki equalized in the 30th minute via a field goal to level the score 1-1.
Both teams stepped on the pedal in the fourth quarter. With the clock ticking away towards the end of regulation time, KL earned a penalty corner. Nur Alissa Mohd Ali converted as the city team went on to celebrate a 2-1 win.
The Young Tigress also continued their winning streak by pumping in four goals against Negeri Sembilan. They went 3-0 ahead before the end of the first half goals with goals from Anith Humaira Baharudin (26th), Nur Shamine Azureen (26th) and Siti Nur Irdina (30th), while Nur Atiqah Najwa nailed the fourth goal in the 43rd minute from open play.
In another Group B match, Malacca joined the comeback bandwagon from a goal down to secure a 3-2 victory over ATM.
Noor Zubaidah Naszemi fired ATM 1-0 ahead with a 25th minute field goal but their joy was short-lived when Malacca’s Nur Shafika Mohd Sharuddin and Ainul Azeerah scored field goals in the 35th and 42nd minutes to overturn the deficit to take a 2-1 lead.
National senior team defender and drag-flick specialist Juliani Mohamed Din converted a penalty corner in the 50th minute as ATM equalized 2-2. A field goal from Nur Syaza Mahirah in the 57th minute shattered ATM’s hopes of a first win in two matches.