Selangor and Malacca registered opening day wins in the National Under 21 Tournament at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Baru.
While Selangor had to stave a spirited fightback from Negeri Sembilan to win 4-3, Malacca played poorly but still managed to edge Perak 2-1.
Selangor took the lead the 3rd minute when Mohd Noor Faez converted a penalty corner.
But they failed to turn their domination into goals as the NS defence refused to be beaten for the second time.
At the stroke of halftime NS struck to draw level through Mohd Zahirul Faez who scored off a penalty corner.
NS started off the second half in similar fashion as they ended the first half, creating two chances that really should have been put away by No 3 but just lacked the final touch.
And Selangor made them pay as they scored two goals in quick succession.
First it was Faez who scored in the 46th minute, once again finding the mark from a penalty corner.
And hardly had the cheers died down when Mohd Bariq Shafie scored to make it 3-1 in favour of Selangor.
However NS were not giving up without a fight as they reduced the deficit through a cleverly worked penalty corner set piece as Muhammad Shafiq found the mark in the 51st minute to reduce the score to 3-2.
But Faez snuffed the fightback as he completed his hattrick with another penalty corner goal in the 61st minute to put Selangor 4-2 ahead.
NS reduced the deficit to 4-3 when Shafiq scored but left it too late to salvage a point.
On the adjacent pitch both Malacca and Perak were lacklusture in the opening half as they failed to create any decent goal scoring chances.
Perak held more possession and were guilty of losing the ball when in their opponents 25 yard line.
Malacca forced a penalty corner just before the halftime hooter but failed to get a shot on target.
It was the same story in the second half as Perak dominated play.
But Malacca went into the lead in the 59th minute when Muhamad Zulfaiz scored. However Perak drew level in the 67th minute when Muhammad Sabri scored from a penalty corner.
However fortune favoured the brave as Malacca launched a last ditch attack and scored the winner a minute from time through Dedi Aryandi who deflected a cross from the right.
