Bukit Jalil edge Tenaga for 10th title in seven years

Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) retained the MHF-Milo-NSC Junior Hockey League (MJHL) overall title, beating Tenaga Nasional 4-3 in the final at the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Stadium yesterday.

It was the 10th title in seven years for BJSS – four times as overall champions and six times as league winners. The success yesterday also gave them the record of having won the double four times after 2004, 2005 and 2007.

BJSS played well yesterday and it was lapses in concentration in the late stages of the match that allowed Tenaga to reduce the deficit. And BJSS coach S. Prakash heaved a huge sigh of relief at the whistle went.

“I expected it to be close and the defensive lapses in the second half were a problem for us. We had the early domination and the four goals by the 39th minute provided us with a good cushion,” he said.

“It was not an attractive final. My players kept to the game plan and they deserved credit for their hard work.”

It was the second time in the MJHL this season that BJSS denied Tenaga a title. BJSS beat 4-1 in their final league match to claim the Division One crown.

It took BJSS just one minute to open scoring with man-of-the-match Ahmad Termidzi Ismail netting the first of his three goals.

Ahmad Termidzi again punished the Tenaga defence in the 10th minute with another solo run to slot home from top D. BJSS were in full control but 10 minutes later, Tenaga pulled a goal back with a field attempt by Khairul Aiman Mohamed Nor.

Mohamed Shaiman Zali restored BJSS' two-goal lead in the 30th minute with a penalty corner goal and Ahmad Termidzi was on target again in the 39th minute.

Tenaga fought back through Division One top scorer Faizal Yaacob’s ninth goal of the season in the 57th minute and in the 65th minute, Mohamed Rashidi Nordin converted a penalty stroke to narrow the gap.

But BJSS held out to maintain their status as the top junior team in the country.

Tenaga coach Lailin Abu Hassan said: “It was a close match and we could have done better with a some better defending.”

In the playoff for third place, Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS) outgunned MSJ-Batu Pahat 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out after extra time failed to resolve a 1-1 deadlock.

BPSS took the lead in the fourth minute through Eldon Lemary and Mohamed Nor Hafiq equalised for Batu Pahat with a penalty stroke conversion in the 64th minute.