Malaysia defeat ensures Scots finish in eighth place

 

Team Scotland rounded off their participation in the Men’s Hockey competition against Malaysia tonight, losing 2-1 in their classification match to finish 8th overall.
Scotland captain Chris Grassick has given the home side a twelfth minute lead, only to be 2-1 down at the half-time interval thanks to goals from Malaysia’s Muhammad Shahril Saabah and Kazamirul Ahmad Nasruddin.
Despite a valiant second half performance, the Scots couldn’t quite find the back of the net.

Team Scotland rounded off their participation in the Men’s Hockey competition against Malaysia tonight, losing 2-1 in their classification match to finish 8th overall.

Scotland captain Chris Grassick has given the home side a twelfth minute lead, only to be 2-1 down at the half-time interval thanks to goals from Malaysia’s Muhammad Shahril Saabah and Kazamirul Ahmad Nasruddin.

Despite a valiant second half performance, the Scots couldn’t quite find the back of the net.

Scotland Head Coach Derek Forsyth summarised, “I am really disappointed today, the boys put a lot into it but just couldn’t get the ball.

“On another day we could take these chances and win the game but unfortunately didn’t win the game.

“It’s not what we wanted, we definitely could have been higher, I think yesterday took its toll on us  playing with 14 men and today we played with a man down. Can’t fault boys for the effort they put in fantastic.

“A Home games in Glasgow, you can never beat it. The boys have a had a fantastic time, you will never get a crowd like that for a long time absolutely brilliant, the support has been tremendous. We have learnt a lot from this experience and looking to move forward from this.”

Scotland captain Chris Grassick added, “Disappointed with the result, proud of how we played today and our last four games. We couldn’t have put in any more effort and couldn’t have tried harder, just disappointed where we have finished.

“We’re happy with the progress we have made, we had a respectable score line against Australia, we ran South Africa very close just losing 2-0 in the last seconds, we competed with India and beat Wales in that crunch game and delivered when it mattered. We have played to our ranking but we believe we can do better than that, disappointed with the result but as I say proud of the effort we put in today.

“The Games have been incredible I just don’t want it to end, for all of us it’s been the best week of our lives to play in front of a home crowd.”

Scotland Mens Team

After an uneventful opening period to the match, a good interchange between Michael Bremner and Chris Nelson on the left flank led to a penalty corner award in the 13th minute for an illegal challenge on the Kelburne midfielder.

Dan Coultas’ drag-flick effort was saved by Malaysia goalkeeper Muhammed Hafizuddin Othman but captain Chris Grassick was on hand to collect the rebound and turn the ball home to give Scotland a 1-0 lead.

Malaysia almost replied a minute later but Muhammad Shahril Saabah couldn’t connect with a dangerous cross into the scoring circle.

Nelson was the hero for the home side after Malaysia were awarded two penalty corners in quick succession, clearing the ball off the goal-line twice with his stick from Saabah’s goal-bound efforts.

In the 24th minute, Scotland were awarded a penalty corner for a stick tackle on Ian Moodie, Grassick just failing to divert Coultas’ drag-flick on target.

A video referral was called by the national side only sixty seconds later, successfully appealing for a Malaysian foot, but Coultas was denied again, this time by a timely intervention from a defender’s stick that deflected the ball over the bar.

The missed chances were to prove costly in the 26th minute when Saabah cleverly diverted Faiz Helmi Jali’s fizzer of a cross past Scotland goalkeeper Jamie Cachia to claim the equalising goal and restore parity to the contest at 1-1.

Cachia made an excellent block from a Razie Muhammad Bin Abd Rahim penalty corner attempt, only to be penalised for making the ball dangerous.  Sadly, the Scottish shot-stopper couldn’t do anything about by Kazamirul Ahmad Nasruddin’s brutal low drag-flick into the left hand corner of the goal, giving Malaysia a 2-1 advantage that they took in to the half-time interval.

Scotland were almost back on level terms straight after the re-start but Kenny Bain couldn’t turn the ball past Othman from a position at the back post

Muhammad Rashid Baharom then had an opportunity to extend Malaysia’s lead, but his weak reverse stick attempt was easily saved by Cachia.

In the 48th minute, an excellent through pass from Niall Stott found the Malaysian scoring circle but Nelson couldn’t get a stick on the ball to make an attempt on goal.

Good play by Bain won a penalty corner in the 52nd minute but Coultas’ subsequent effort was saved.

Bain was again the danger man for Scotland, executing a reverse stick cross but Moodie couldn’t finish off the opportunity in front of goal.

Ten minutes from full-time, Malaysia were awarded a penalty corner for obstruction but Alan Forsyth was able to clear the ball off the goal-line from the drag-flick shot.

Agony three minutes from time as Forsyth couldn’t quite connect with a pass with the goal begging, before Coultas had a last ditch penalty corner saved. Alas it wasn’t to be Scotland’s night.

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