Malaysia Juniors Hold On for 2-1 Win Over SAI as Penalty Corners Do the Damage at Murugappa
Two penalty corners, two goals, and then a long hold-on. That’s how Malaysia’s juniors got their first win of the Murugappa Gold Cup, beating SAI-NCOE Bhopal 2-1 in Chennai on Tuesday.
Mohd Muhammad opened it up in the 14th minute, converting a penalty corner to put the Malaysians in front. Seven minutes later Gunaseelan Dheeressh did the same thing from another corner, and at 2-0 inside the first quarter the game looked like it might run away from SAI.
It didn’t. SAI pulled one back through Mohammed Zaid Khan’s field goal in the 42nd minute, and the last stretch was all defending from the Malaysian end. They held on, and that matters more than the scoreline suggests.
This is a young Malaysian side learning tournament hockey the hard way. They’d lost 1-0 to BPCL the day before, Sudeep Chirmako’s third-minute goal the only one of the game, and they’d spent most of that match chasing an equaliser that never came. So going 2-0 up early and then having to protect it was exactly the test they needed, and they passed it.
Two corners converted, no goals conceded from open play, and a clean sheet in the second half when SAI threw everything at them.
For SAI, it’s another one that got away. They’ve now played four, won none, and conceded 17 goals in the tournament. They can score, Zaid Khan’s goal was their 11th, but they keep giving themselves too much to do. Chasing a two-goal deficit against a side defending a lead is hard work for anyone, and SAI have been doing it all week.
The win lifts Malaysia to three points from two games in Pool B, level on games with a shot at the semi-finals still very much alive. SAI are left with one point from four and only pride to play for now.
Meanwhile Malaysia’s senior side are far away in Jalandhar, winning 5-4 against China on the Asian Champions Trophy’s opening day. It’s been a decent week to be Malaysian, all told.
The other Day 6 game, IOCL’s 2-2 draw with Hockey Karnataka, was already covered on the site.
Chennai hosts three more games today, and Malaysia are straight back out there against the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu.
Related links:
https://sportscursor.com/murugappa-gold-cup-day-5-full-wrap-army-six-railways-bpcl-27-october-2026/
