Malaysian Tigress Go On 30-minute Goal Fest To Sink Taiwan

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 (Bernama) -- The national women's team produced a scintillating performance to score eight goals in the first 30 minutes to blitz Taiwan 8-0 during their fifth-eighth classification match at the Women's Hockey Asia Cup in Hangzhou, China, today.

The first-half show of power at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Stadium allowed the Malaysian Tigress, coached by Mohd Nasihin Nubli Ibrahim, to maintain their unbeaten run in the classification stage.

Siti Nur Arfah Mohd Nor got the ball rolling as early as the third minute with a field goal before Nur Afiqah Syahzani Azhar doubled their lead a minute later through a penalty corner set piece.

Nuramirah Shakirah Zulkifli then struck twice - in the 10th and 16th minutes - before Siti Nur Arfah notched her second - and the team's fifth - in the 18th minute.

Nur Aisyah Che Musa made it 6-0 in the 20th minute, before Malaysia found themselves in seventh heaven when Hanis Nadiah Onn slotted home a penalty corner set piece in the 21st minute. Nur Afiqah then completed the rout with her second goal of the day in the 29th minute.

"We punished the opposition by playing an excellent game, and scored some very good goals. However, in the third and fourth quarters (second half), two players were injured, while the others started conserving their energy.

"For the last match today, I hope the players will give their best again. They must continue to show the same kind of fighting spirit and go all out,” Mohd Nasihin said in a video clip shared with the media.

Malaysia will next meet the winners of the match between Thailand and Singapore in the fifth-sixth placing match.

Malaysia had earlier completed their Group A campaign in third place with three points, thus failing to advance to the Super 4 round.

The Malaysian team's best-ever achievement in the Women's Hockey Asia Cup was a third placing in the inaugural edition in Seoul, South Korea, in 1985.

-- BERNAMA