The Malaysian men’s national junior team went down 2-4 against the Australian Under-21 side today in their first friendly match at the Queensland State Hockey Centre in Brisbane.
The Burras took the lead through a field goal from Jesse in the sixth minute and Lucas extended the score to 2-0 in the 26th minute via a field goal.
As the match progressed the Australians continued to press forward and Duncan sealed a comfortable 3-0 lead towards the end of the third quarter.
The Malaysians also showcased their attacking prowess with swift passing and ultimately scored a goal in the 52nd minute through Muhammad Danish Aiman from open play to reduce the deficit to 1-3.
Mohamad Nor Syakir Hafiz than converted a penalty corner in the 56th minute to close the gap at 2-3, but the Australians asserted their dominance and frustrated the Malaysians with a fourth goal through Ian three minutes before the end of regulation time. Malaysia 2 Australia 4.
National Juniors assistant coach I. Vikneswaran said the Young Tigers tried to make up ground in the fourth quarter but the Australians defended well.
“We started off well and made progress in scoring two goals in the fourth quarter. Overall, I am satisfied with the performance of the team in this first match,” said Vikneswaran.
“There are areas we need to work on improving but nevertheless it was a good start. Leaving the defeat aside, we intend to give an improved performance in the next match. The Australians are a world class team and playing against them will benefit the Malaysian juniors,” he added.
The Young Tigers will play the second of four friendly matches against the Australia Under-21 team on Sunday, July 28 followed by games on July 29 and July 31.