Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, it is said, has not been his usual self in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) this season. But when it mattered most, he did what he would usually do — score.
And so it was he who delivered the MHL title for Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) at National Hockey Stadium yesterday.
Tengku Ahmad scored the all important goal in the 49th minute as UniKL beat Maybank 1-0.
UniKL struggled for long periods, and it was finally down to wily old hand Tengku Ahmad to make the difference.
It was UniKL's third consecutive League title, and the university side did it, without the help of their imports. Foreign players are missing from this year's MHL due to Covid-19.
UniKL now hold the proud record of an unbeaten stretch of 33 matches since 2019, winning 30 matches while drawing three.
"Tengku has been under rehabilitation for a long period... and even when he was training (online) with the national team recently. He is not his usual self this season because of that. But when it mattered most, my experienced player made it count," said UniKL manager Datuk Amir Azhar Ibrahim.
A relieved Tengku Ahmad said: "We did not play well today, and in the final minute, Maybank had many chances to equalise but some decisions did not favour them, and I can say they were unlucky.
"Even though we did not play to our usual standard, a win, in this case, is more cherished than performance."
UniKL, who earlier won the Charity Shield, are just one step away from repeating their treble. Their women's team won the League as well, and look good for the Vivian May Soars Cup next.
RESULTS — UiTM 3 Sabah 2, UniKL 1 Maybank 0, Tenaga Nasional 1 Terengganu HT 4, TNB Thunderbolts 2 NurInsafi 0.