Australia scored a 3-2 victory against an overly defensive Malaysia for their first success in three matches in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament at the National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
The Aussies, playing a waiting game, dominated the proceedings, and scored through Travis Brooks (12th) and veteran Troy Elder (31st and 52nd). The Malaysians made the best of two defensive lapses and scored through Keevan Raj (18th) and Azlan Misron (56th).
Australia took their tally to four points while Malaysia have two after two draws.
The hosts were far too intent on defending and it allowed the Aussies to keep the pressure on the opposition while enjoying virtually a free run in the midfield.
While the Aussies tried out some set-piece moves, the Malaysians tended to be far too predictable.
As they did against India, the Malaysians sprayed aerial balls to the back of the Aussie defence for their lurking forwards. But once the Australians got the hang of it, they defended quite easily.
Quite typically, the Aussies struck early when Brooks finished a lovely set-piece move that saw the ball move from left to right in one smooth motion.