It all seemed to go well initially for the Speedy Tigers when they got the early lead they were hoping for in the sixth minute through Nabil Fiqri Noor.

Stunned by Malaysia’s wave of attacks, Britain looked for ways to control the game, resorting to counterattacks which eventually brought them level through forward Sam Ward in the 33rd minute.

The hosts then took the lead through a Phil Roper field goal (36th minute) before Alan Forsyth extended their lead in the 42nd minute.

Faizal Saari received a green card with two minutes remaining in the third quarter for a foul and was sent to the sin bin.

Britain piled on more misery in the 47th minute when James Gall scored their fourth goal to give them a cushion heading into the second leg at 11pm (Malaysian time) tonight.

Roelant Oltmans’ men now have no choice but to produce a flawless and tactically astute display to overcome the three-goal deficit and pull off a great comeback.

Malaysia have not qualified for the Olympics since 2000 in Sydney, Australia.