KUALA LUMPUR: A penalty corner is surely a team’s weapon of choice in the search for goals in modern day hockey.
So it is of no surprise then that PKS Uniten’s penalty corner specialist, Nuraini Rashid, is under a lot of pressure to deliver on the eve of the Vivian May Soars Cup semi-final second leg clash against the Terengganu Ladies Hockey Team (TLHT) at the Tengku Abdullah Stadium tomorrow (Thursday).
PKS Uniten coach, Lailin Abu Hassan is also not having it easy as they are trailing by two goals after losing 4-2 to TLHT in the first leg yesterday (Tuesday).
In fact, the condition of the turf at the Tengku Abdullah Stadium in Bangi which is uneven makes the clash all the more interesting because both teams are exposed in making unnecessary errors.
“For me scoring a field goal is very important, but then if we were to get penalty corners then it should make things easier on us in scoring goals.
“In the semi-final first leg yesterday, we were somewhat gifted with two penalty corners and were able to score a goal.
“It’s just that we need to cut down on making unnecessary mistakes because the stadium’s turf is uneven and the ball can bounce very easily, but the fact of the matter is we need to avoid any unforced errors and concentrate on getting on the scoresheet,” he said.
This season, PKS Uniten are considered as one of the most dangerous teams when it comes to penalty corners as 19 out of the 38 goals they have scored have come from penalty corners.
PKS Uniten have gotten the better of their opponents in the second round of matches in the league when they defeated TLHT 2-1, so there is nothing to stop the 2017 league champions from bouncing back during tomorrow’s semi-final second leg.
Malaysian international Nuraini also believes that they can overcome their opponents when she said: “By right we should have won the first leg yesterday (Tuesday)”.
“But we failed to convert the chances and scoring opportunities that came our way especially in the first quarter apart from letting in what I felt were four rather soft goals,” said the 30-year-old who has netted eight goals so far.
The other semi-final is seen as more evenly balanced as the Police Blue Warriors narrowly lost 2-1 to China side Liaoning Infinite Space yesterday.
The winners of the semi-finals will move on to the final that is scheduled to be played at the Tun Razak Stadium this Saturday.