IPOH, March 10 - Malaysia scored its second consecutive win in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup by beating defending champion New Zealand 2-1 at the Azlan Shah Stadium, here, Sunday night.
Malaysia, looking very much a rejuvenated side under newly appointed coach Paul Revington from Ireland, had beaten South Korea 3-2 yesterday.
In today's match, both teams started on a cautious note, resulting in a scoreless first half.
But once the second half got underway, the Malaysian side played with more urgency and only five minutes into the restart, seasoned campaigner Chua Boon Huat put his side in the driving seat, taking advantage of a goal mouth melee to slam the ball home in the 40th minute.
It was Boon Huat's third goal in two matches.
Four minutes later (44th min), Tengku Ahmad Tajudin Abdul Jalil gave the home fans reason to cheer by slotting home the second goal.
Stunned by the goals, New Zealand sprang into action and doubled their efforts at goal only to see a number of good chances missed.
However, the Kiwis managed to reduce the deficit from a penalty corner set piece in the 65th minute through Shay Neal, resulting in a tense five minutes for the home side and the fans.
Meanwhile, Tengku Ahmad Tajudin was awarded the man-of-the-match for his silky skills and tireless efforts.
In earlier matches played today, Australia whipped Pakistan 6-0 while South Korea made up for their defeat yesterday by beating India 2-1.
--BERNAMA
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