Sunday, October 25, 2009

FIFTH TEST MATCH


Perhaps Tai Beng Hai should have a long hard look at his selection of players for the New Zealand World Cup Qualifiers after a young Malaysian side held the Australians to a 2-2 draw in the fifth and final Test Match at the Tun Razak Stadium.

The youngsters gave a good account of themselves to match the Aussies blow for blow and were unlucky not to have pulled off a win.

The hosts opted to play four players who were not selected into the final 18 of the World Cup Qualifier bound team. Those who played for the first time was Harvinder Singh, Mohd Nor Khairul, while Mohd Amirullah and Ahmad Kazamirul played their second match but failed to make the cut.

If there is one area that should concern Beng Hai, then it must be the number of penalty corners conceded as Australia had 12 and really could have done better with their conversion rate.

Australia took the lead in the 11th minute through Brett Dancer but Mohd Amin Rahim made good of Malaysia's second penalty corner three minutes later.

The Malaysians took the lead, for the first time in five matches, in the 47th minute with Azlan Misron finishing off a neat set piece from a penalty corner.

However the lead lasted for six minutes as the Aussies stepped up a gear and found the equaliser in the 53rd minute via David Guest, also from a penalty corner deflection that caught keeper S. Kumar off guard.