KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional reached the final of the TNB Cup when they defeated Maybank 6-3 on aggregate following a 5-1 semi-final return leg win at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
Tenaga will face Charity Shield and Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) in Thursday's final.
THT edged UiTM HA 1-0 in the other semi-final return leg to qualify 2-1 on aggregate.
Faizal Saari was THT's hero with a goal in the 27th minute.
Tenaga, meanwhile, were merciless in the first half, and did not give away a single penalty corner.
However, in the second half, Maybank pushed harder and won eight penalty corners, though national flicker Razie Rahim bungled most of them.
Tenaga scored through Azril Misron (10th), Azrai Aizad (12th, 59th), Shahril Saabah (36th) and Norshafiq Sumantri (60th).
The final three goals were scored in the last two minutes of the match when Maybank took out their goalkeeper and tried to reclaim the match with attacking numbers but it back-fired instead.
Maybank got their goal off Haziq Samsul in the 59th minute.
Two-goal hero Azrai said: "We were tired after the MHL defeat to THT in Batu Buruk (Terengganu) and the journey back home was also tiring.
"And as a result, we were defeated by Maybank in the first leg.
"But we had a good rest before the return leg, and it was a joy to play today. I believe if we play like we did today (yesterday), we will claim the TNB Cup."
Meanwhile, the Malaysian women's hockey team left for South Africa today for the Junior World Cup.
They are in Group D with Germany, Wales and India.
Malaysia will open their campaign on April 2 against Germany, followed by Wales the next day and India on April 5.
RESULTS
TNB Cup, Semi-finals, return leg: Maybank 1 Tenaga Nasional 5 (Tenaga win 6-3 on aggregate), UiTM HA 0 THT 1 (THT win 2-1 on aggregate).
FIXTURES
THURSDAY: Final -- Tenaga Nasional v THT (National Stadium I, 8.30pm); Third-Fourth: UiTM HA v Maybank (National Stadium I, 6pm).