MHL : Ernst and Young out to discard their bridesmaid tag

One team will be out to bag the elusive overall title while the other are keen to to re-establish their credentials as the country’s top hockey club in today’s Malaysia Hockey League final.

Finalists Ernst and Young (E&Y) and Sapura have the best available talents in Malaysians hockey but it would not mean an entertaining final.

E&Y will be playing in their sixth consecutive final and have yet to get the mix to win.

Sapura, winners in 2005 and 2006, have a team of aging stars but have shown they still have what it takes to be at the top.

Thus the final could be a classic affair with good hockey or a dull game with a solitary goal separating the winner.

Playing bridesmaid on seven occasions (they were also in the 2001 final) can affect the morale of any team. So for today’s final, E&Y’s fight will not be just with their opponents but themselves.

Their team manager George Koshy said E&Y have what it takes to win but pointed out that coming out with that little extra in the final has been the missing ingredient.

He is convinced that the players marching out for the final will be aware of the pitfalls and will be better prepared for the challenge.

“I do not see what more we could have done in the past. Surely over the years we have got better and I believe the players are capable of winning the title.

“But having said that I also acknowledge that our form in the knock-out stage had been far from being convincing. We are lucky to be in the final and we must make good use of the chances that have come our way to grab the overall title,” said Koshy.

In the preliminary round Ernst and Young had beaten Sapura twice.

Sapura coach K. Embaraj has dismissed those results saying the final will be a different ball game.

“For me it is simply the better team on the day will triumph. Everything comes down to the next 70 minutes and just one mistake is all it takes to be a winner or a loser.

“Both sides have experienced players and this battle could go all way,” said Embaraj.

Tactics will be crucial and both teams may well start off cautiously before pushing up for the goals.

Sapura of late have been more adventurous with their moves and their speed play has provided them with crucial wins.

But E&Y have the ability to click as a team but their biggest flaw lies with their inability to convert their chances.

They have a strike force full of internationals — Chua Boon Huat, Ismail Abu, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin and Azlan Misron — on their day can sizzle. But they have not been that effective thus far. They also have other young strikers like Craig Fernandez, Nabil Fiqri, Mohamed Amerullah and Azli Misron.

But the players who could turn the match around for them is either Mohamed Razie or Baljit Singh who specialise in penalty corner flicks.

Sapura’s top penalty corner specialist S. Kuhan is a doubtful starter but they have in Jiwa Mohan a capable replacement for the set-piece moves. Further more their South Korean important Song Seong-tae and Kim Jung-chul have fitted in well and are capable of delivering the goals.

This is a match where there is no shortage of star players to chart their team’s fortunes in the final.

But it could be dull affair if these players do not rise to the occasion. There is ample motivation to win and as Koshy aptly puts it the players must have the hunger to win.