News for 20 March 2016
All the news for Sunday 20 March 2016
Truth hurts Malaysia hockey after 7-1 drubbing by Aussies
by S. Ramaguru
Honest admission by national coach Stephen van Huizen on Malaysia hockey
KUALA LUMPUR: The truth can sometimes be unpleasant. And the Malaysian hockey team found that the hard way against world champions Australia.
In the first of their three friendly matches, Malaysia were outclassed 7-1 at the Perth Hockey Stadium on Saturday.
National coach Stephen van Huizen said they have a long way to even come close to the world’s top teams.
“We made some silly errors and our youngsters’ inexperience showed. The speed of the Australians also left us high and dry and it will take some time to get there. It’s a good lesson nonetheless and one that the players must take heed,” Van Huizen said.
“We knew the game will be tough. But to improve we need to keep the mistakes down and also step up our play,” he added.
Surprisingly, the Malaysians took the lead in the seventh minute through Mohamed Marhan Jalil. But that was as far as they got.
Jake Whetton scored four goals in the 14th, 26th, 29th and 37th minutes while Flynn Ogilvie had a brace in the 13th and 60th minutes. The other goal scorer was Jeremy Hayward (44th).
Malaysia are preparing for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup next month in Ipoh and the Oceania Tour in Australia and New Zealand are part of their preparations.
Stephen added that all the registered 18 players were fielded.
“We have a squad of 20 players and rested Baljit Singh and Mohamed Ramadhan Rosli. All others had a game.
“We’ll make sure that every player have enough playing time. We want to see them improve and not repeat the same mistakes.
“For example three of the goals came due to errors at the back. This is what we have to avoid.
“The fact remains that the Aussies are a top class team. We must ensure we are always at our best against them or we’ll be severely punished.”
And the Malaysians are hoping for a more creditable performance at the same venue on Monday.
The Star of Malaysia
Black Sticks draw final test against Korea
Photo: Planet Hockey
The Black Sticks Men have drawn 1-1 with Korea in the fourth and final test at Lloyd Elsmore Hockey Stadium in Auckland.
Following on from Saturday’s 6-1 result, the Black Sticks found it tougher work today against a more structured Korea side.
Nic Woods’ 13th minute penalty corner drag flick equalised the score after an early Korean goal, and that was how it would remain for the rest of the game.
The Black Sticks come away with the series thanks to two wins and two draws, while midfielder George Muir brought up his 50th test for New Zealand during the game.
Assistant coach Bryce Collins said it was a much tougher task today with Korea desperate for a result in the final fixture.
“Korea were much better in this game than they have been, we struggled in the first quarter and they had a lot of ball which frustrated us,” he said.
“We come away from this series with a lot of positives and that will help our development a lot going forward towards Rio.
“The ability to score goals has been a big focus for us so to come away with two big wins [7-1 and 6-1] highlights we’re heading in the right direction but we still have a lot of work to do.”
Following a frenetic opening few minutes Korea were first to strike when Jihun Yang delivered from a sixth minute penalty corner.
The Black Sticks then composed themselves and built some good attacking pressure, leading to their first penalty corner of the match with Nic Woods powering a flick into the back of the net.
Both sides created chances in the third corner but couldn’t capitalise on them. Goalkeeper Kyle Pontifex make several brilliant saves late in the period to keep the score level.
New Zealand put together some good attacking phases in the fourth quarter but couldn’t find the winning goal.
The Black Sticks now get back into training ahead of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia from 7-17 April, where they are defending champions having beaten Australia in last year’s final.
BLACK STICKS 1: (Nic Woods)
KOREA 1: (Jihun Yang)
Halftime: 1-1
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Black Sticks Men draw with Korea
Black Sticks youngster Nic Woods. Photo / Getty
A Nic Woods goal from a penalty corner gave New Zealand a 1-1 draw with South Korea in their fourth and final men's hockey international in Auckland today.
The result was a come down after world No 8 New Zealand had scored 13 goals over the second and third games of the series.
Midfielder Woods equalised after Jihun Yang had given the 13th-ranked Koreans the lead.
Woods had another couple of penalty corner attempts saved while New Zealand goalkeepeer Kyle Pontifex was called into action to make an important save late on.
The world No 8 Black Sticks won the series 2-0 with two matches drawn.
The New Zealand Herald
Black Sticks go unbeaten in series against Korea after 1-1 draw in final test
Nic Woods (left) scored the Black Sticks' only goal in their 1-1 draw with Korea in Auckland on Sunday. PHOTOSPORT
The Black Sticks men have come through their series against Korea unbeaten, after drawing the fourth test 1-1 at Lloyd Elsmore Park in Auckland.
Having secured the series with a pair of big wins - 7-1 and 6-1 - in the second and third games, they weren't anywhere near as productive in the final game on Sunday.
Assistant coach Bryce Collins said they had faced a tougher task, with the visitors desperate to take something away from the series, which the Black Sticks won 2-0.
"Korea were much better in this game than they have been. We struggled in the first quarter and they had a lot of ball which frustrated us," he said.
"We come away from this series with a lot of positives and that will help our development a lot going forward towards Rio.
"The ability to score goals has been a big focus for us so to come away with two big wins highlights we're heading in the right direction, but we still have a lot of work to do."
The Black Sticks went behind early in the first quarter, to a goal by Jihun Yang at a sixth-minute penalty corner.
Then, as the first period drew to a close, they won a penalty corner of their own through Shay Neal, which Nic Woods duly converted with a powerful drag flick.
Both sides had chances in the second quarter, including another penalty corner attempt for Woods that was only just saved, leaving the sides locked at the halftime break.
They both had penalty corners in the third quarter, but it was their keepers rather than their strikers who stepped up, each making excellent saves to keep the scores tied.
The Black Sticks had another penalty corner with eight minutes to play, but this time Woods' shot was off target to the left.
Simon Child had a late attempt to win it, but was denied by an excellent piece of keeping, and so the series ended as it began, with a draw.
The Black Sticks are next in action at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, which begins on April 7.
They are the defending champions of that event, which they won after beating Australia in last year's final.
New Zealand 1 (Woods) drew with Korea 1 (Yang)
Stuff
Holcombe book play-off spot
Nic White (right) in action for Holcombe. Credit Andy Smith
TWO goals down at half time, Holcombe battled back in style to take a 3-2 win over Clifton and secure their passage into the League Finals Weekend in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division.
Two goals from Els Mansell had put hosts Clifton into the lead, but after the break Emily Maguire, Nic White and Sarah Jones struck to snatch victory and make sure Holcombe held on to fourth spot.
East Grinstead had high hopes of snatching fourth spot, but they lost out at home 1-2 to relegation-threatened Buckingham.
Kitty Higgins had put bottom of the table Buckingham into the lead, and although Josephine Blunt equalised for East Grinstead on the stroke of half time, Phoebe Richards scored on 51 minutes to give Buckingham only their third league win of the season.
However, with Bowdon Hightown beating Reading 5-3, Buckingham stay bottom and are relegated.
Bowdon’s Hannah Richardson scored early in the game and Lisa Garbutt made it 2-0 on 23 minutes. Helen Richardson-Walsh made it 1-2 at half time with a 26th minute goal for Reading and Susie Gilbert’s 43rd minute goal equalised, but Bowdon went on to win with Lily Wolstenholme scoring on 56 minutes before Sally Walton found the goal on 57 and 65 minutes.
Elsewhere, Canterbury beat the University of Birmingham 2-1 with Jen Wilson and Ainsley McCallister scoring their goals. The two will line-up again in the League Finals Weekend at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on April 16-17.
And Surbiton ended the 18-match regular season unbeaten following a 2-0 win over Leicester, Robyn Collins and Sarah Haycroft scoring their goals.
Investec Women’s Conference East
Maidenhead will have to battle through the relegation play-offs to preserve their National League status after they lost out 1-0 at home to Wimbledon, for whom Emer Hickey scored their goal.
Elsewhere Conference East winners Slough won 6-2 at Chelmsford, while second-placed Cambridge City lost out 3-1 at Harleston Magpies.
Hampstead and Westminster battled out a thrilling 3-3 draw against St Albans with Cressida Grant, Alex Irwin and Annebeth Wijtenburg scored the goals. Meanwhile, Emma Onien scored twice for St Albans and Eleanor Watton scored the other.
Sevenoaks beat relegated Ipswich 4-1 with both Katy Warrington and Maddie Thompson scoring a brace of goals.
Investec Women’s Conference North
Conference North winners Wakefield had to settle for a 1-1 draw at the University of Durham. Georgia Byas gave them the lead early in the second half, only for Anna Baker to level with six minutes remaining.
Rachel Greenwood scored a hat-trick for Springfields, who drew 3-3 with Beeston. Sophie Robinson scored twice and Rosy Stephens once for the visitors.
Brooklands Poynton were 3-1 winners over Liverpool Sefton, while Belper lost out 3-0 at home against Ben Rhydding and Whitley Bay and Tynemouth also lost at home, 2-0 to Loughborough Students.
Investec Women’s Conference West
Trojns made sure of National League survival with a 6-0 win over relegated University of Bristol. Rosie Lickorish and Nyssa Cole both scored twice, while Jenny Peebles and Elizabeth Jenkins also got on the scoresheet.
Stourport were 3-1 winners at Isca, with their goals coming from Hannah Corcoran, Lora Symonds and Lauren Shilvock.
Bristol Firebrands will have to go through the relegation play-offs if they want to preserve their national League status, following a 3-1 defeat at Oxford Hawks.
Elsewhere winners Sutton Coldfield won 3-2 against Olton and West Warwicks, while Swansea City and Gloucester City drew 1-1.
Investec Women’s Hockey League (Saturday, March 19 2016):
Investec Women's Premier Division: Canterbury 2, University of Birmingham 1; Clifton 2, Holcombe 3; East Grinstead 1, Buckingham 2; Reading 3, Bowdon 5; Surbiton 2, Leicester 0.
Investec Women's Conference East: Chelmsford 2, Slough 6; Hampstead and Westminster 3, St. Albans 3; Harleston Magpies 3, Cambridge City 1; Maidenhead 0, Wimbledon 1; Sevenoaks 4, Ipswich 1.
Investec Women's Conference North: Belper 0, Ben Rhydding 3; Brooklands Poynton 3, Liverpool Sefton 1; Springfields 3, Beeston 3; University of Durham 1, Wakefield 1; Whitley Bay and Tynemouth 0, Loughborough Students 2.
Investec Women's Conference West: Isca 1, Stourport 3; Oxford Hawks 3, Bristol Firebrands 1; Sutton Coldfield 3, Olton & West Warwicks 2; Swansea City 1, Gloucester City 1; Trojans 6, University of Bristol 0.
England Hockey Board Media release
Kelburne and Edinburgh University progress to Scottish Cup Final
Bromac Kelburne and Edinburgh University will contest the Men's Scottish Cup final after respective wins over Grove Menzieshill and PSL Team Sport Clydesdale.
Earlier in the day, Falkirk GHG defeated Erskine Stewart's Melville FP, while Granite City Wanderers comfortably eased past Stirling University, to both reach the Men's Scottish Plate Final.
Men's Scottish Cup
A tense and scrappy affair between Bromac Kelburne and Grove Menzieshill went to penalties after the two sides finished seventy minutes level at 1-1.
Gavin Tomlinson had given the Taysiders the lead in the 40th minute from a penalty stroke, but Lee Morton struck the equalising goal shortly before full-time to take the match to the penalty lottery.
Josh Cairns kept his cool to score a decisive penalty stroke after Iain Scholefield was illegally upended during his penalty effort.
Edinburgh University had an easier task in the second semi-final, defeating PSL Team Sport Clydesdale 5-1.
Two goals each for Dan Coultas and Tom Kemsley, in addition to a Chris Duncan strike, gave the students a four goal winning margin.
A fizzing drag-flick from Chris McFadden was the consolation goal for the Titwood outfit.
Men's Scottish Plate
Falkirk GHG battled back from two goals down against Erskine Stewart's Melville to force a penalty shoot-out, in which they triumphed 3-0.
Richard Wright and Dan Hodgkin had given the capital side a 2-0 lead, only to be pegged back by late goals from Cameron Scott and Murray Paton.
In the second semi-final, Granite City Wanderers were too strong for Stirling University, winning 9-1.
A hat-trick from Neil Morton-Lloyd, a brace from Stuart Begg, added to goals from John Graham, Steven Beattie, Andrew McLaren and Andy Todd put the Aberdonians into the final.
Liam Witt got the uni's goal.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Western Jaguars, USIU battle to draw in hockey league
Tonny Nyukuri of Greensharks vies with Stephen Wokila of USIU-A during their Kenya Hockey Union men’s Premier League match at City Park Hockey Stadium on November 29, 2015. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
United States International University (USIU-A) held hosts Western Jaguars to a 1-1 draw in a fiercely contested Kenya Hockey Union men’s Premier League match at Kakamega High School ground on Saturday.
The visitors were the first to hit the target when Lawrence Okubasu capitalised on a defensive error to sound the board 11 minutes into the game.
The students held onto the lead up to half time but Jaguars levelled matters after Bar Kibir struck the equaliser in the 42nd minute.
“The boys played well. The result leaves us in contention to finish the league in a respectable position,” said USIU interim coach John Kabuu.
His Jaguars counterpart Mike Malungu commended his boys for putting up a spirited fight during the encounter.
“I will work on the finishing part because we have to win all the remaining six matches,” he said.
The draw left the hosts in the relegation zone.
In Narobi, bottom-placed Mombasa Sports Club (MSC) are still searching for their first league win after drawing 2-2 with Parklands Club at the City Park Stadium on Saturday.
The visitors had fought their way back into the game after falling behind to an Erick Kidwaro strike in the 17th minute. Brian Karimi levelled the score a minute later before he completed his brace two minutes to half-time.
However, MSC were unable to hold on to the lead as the home team levelled through Franklin Kiyondi at the stroke of halftime.
MSC coach Caleb Simiyu lamented his team’s lapses in concentration that allowed their opponents to walk away with the point.
“We responded well after falling behind and took the game to our opponents but we were unable to keep the lead once we got. We need to be alert at all times so in as to avoid such scenarios,” Simiyu told Sunday Nation Sport.
Earlier, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) men’s and women’s teams were handed walkovers after their opponents failed to turn up for their respective matches.
Daily Nation
Nat U-16: Selangor Girls and Boys in final
By Jugjet Singh
SELANGOR Boys' played the game of their lives to upset Sabah 4-1 and advance to the final of the 1MAS-Milo National Under-16 hockey tournament Saturday.
Selangor will play Terengganu for the title Sunday, after the East Coast side beat Pahang 2-1.
Selangor Girls' also made the final after they hammered Kedah 6-1 and will play Penang.
Selangor HA secretary P. Kuganesan was elated with his boys determination.
"They started the match knowing well that they need a high scoring win to pip Sabah out of the final and they gave their best to achieve the target. It is not easy to socore four goals against favourites Sabah, but they achieved it with sheer determination," said Kuganesan.
And with both the Petaling Jaya City Centre and Pandamaran pitches ready for action after years ot neglect, Selangor look like they might just gain back their glory days.
The Selangor boys goals were scored by Halif Fadzly (10th), Zafri Afiq (27th), Rusydi Yusop (39th) and Zarreman Shamier (43rd). Sabah got their goal off Morris Ramilan in the 12th minute.
Sabah threw away a chance to play in the final, as they started off with a better goal difference, and only needed a draw and could have even lost by a goal -- but they blew it big time.
Meanwhile, the national seniors team were drubbed 7-1 by world no 1 Australia in their First Test yesterday.
The Malaysian goal was scored by Marhan Jalil in the first quarter. The team will play two more Tests in preparation for the Azlan Shah Cup on April 6-16.
RESULTS: Boys' Group X: Sabah 1 Selangor 4; Group Y: Pahang 1 Terengganu 2.
Seventh-Ninth: Perak 2 Penang 4.
Girls Group X: Negri 0 Penang 2; Group Y: Kedah 1 Selangor 6.
Seventh-Ninth: Terenggnau 0 Sabah 2.
SUNDAY: Boys' final: Selangor v Terengganu (KLHA, 6pm); Third-fourth: Sabah v Pahang (KLHA, 3pm); Fifth-Sixth: Malacca v Johor (KLHA, 8am).
Girls' final: Penang v Selangor (KLHA, 4.30pm); Third-fourth: Malacca v Kuala Lumpur (MOE, 3pm); Fifth-Sixth: Negri v Kedah (MOE, 8am).
NOTE: All matches at Ministry of Education (MOE) and Kuala Lumpur HA (KLHA) at Jalan Pantai.
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey
Akhimullah destroys Pahang's dream of retaining 1MAS hockey title
by S. Ramaguru
Selangor's Mohamed Rusydi (front) celebrating after scoring a goal against Sabah in the match in the 1MAS-Milo Under-16 hockey tournament. - M. AZHAR / The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Terengganu’s Mohd Akhimullah Anuar single-handedly ended Pahang’s reign as the 1MAS-Milo Under-16 hockey champions.
The Terengganu striker scored both goals in their 2-1 Group Y second round win on Saturday. They will face former 2014 champions Selangor in the final at the KL Hockey Stadium on Sunday.
Mohd Akhimullah scored his goals in each half in the 20th and 49th minute. Pahang’s goal was scored by Mohamed Syamim Naim in the 33rd minute.
Earlier, Selangor defeated Sabah 4-1 to book their spot.
Selangor team manager S. Tangaswaran had expected the East Malaysians to hit them hard.
“Surprisingly Sabah did not play well. In fact my players were more relaxed and went about their task confidently,” said Tangaswaran.
“We made better use of our chances and this is probably our best game to date,” he said.
Selangor took the lead in the 10th minute through a field attempt by Mohamed Halif Mohd Fadzly. But Sabah replied two minutes later through a penalty corner goal by Morris Ramilan.
Selangor dominated play after the break and scored through Muhammad Zafri Afiq (27th), Mohamed Rusydi Mohamad Yusop (39th) and Zarreman Shamier (43rd).
In the girls category, defending champions Penang are favourites to retain the title after defeating Negri Sembilan 2-0 in Group X.
Selangor thumped Kedah 6-1 in Group Y to set up a showdown with the islanders.
The Star of Malaysia
