BY ZULHILMI ZAINAL Follow on Twitter
Experienced Malaysia forward Norshahrul Idlan Talaha continued his resurgence, when his brace helped the Harimau Malaya overcome a stubborn Laos 3-1 in their second Group A AFF Championship match on Monday.
With the clock running out and the scoreline tied at 1-1 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, the 32-year old, playing in his fifth AFF Championship tournament, rose to the occassion late in the match, scoring the leading goal in the 86th minute, before taking his personal scoring tally in the competition to seven goals in injury time.
Against Cambodia last Thursday, the Pahang man scored the only goal of the match, and thanks to the two wins, one-time champions Malaysia are now top of the group with six points. Unsurprisingly, he was voted the man of the match by the competition organiser in both encounters.
Speaking after the Laos match, Norshahrul spoke of using the pressure received from the home fans when things looked uncertain in the encounter, to motivate him.
"Praise Allah, we got the winner in the final five minutes, and most importantly the three points.
"Of course there was pressure playing in front of the home crowd. But my teammates supported in attack, never letting up, and we were rewarded for this perseverance in the end.
"And it's normal for a forward to be under pressure from the fans, the management and the coach. But it's how I adapt to it that guarantees me success," he remarked.
But the player who is also fondly known as Mat Yo by his teammates and fans was insistent that their current perfect record in the tournament is not something they should be satisfied with.
"There's still a long way to go in the competition and I have to work harder. We're going to be facing Vietnam, a very formidable side, a side we seem to be playing in every edition of the tournament. God willing, we'll be giving our 100 per cent in Hanoi.
"And my teammates too need to step up and find the target, as I can't score in every match," he added.
Malaysia's match against Vietnam will be on November 16, Friday, at 7.30 pm Malaysian time.
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