M.No.25
DAY 13: Monday 12.3.2012:

Strykers on target as Lions trip again

The inaugural Bridgestone World Series Hockey witnessed yet another sizzler as Pune Strykers got past Karnataka Lions by a slender margin of 3-2, here on Monday.

With three wins and draws against one defeat in the previous match, Pune became the first team to notch up 12 points to top the table on the penultimate day of Round One of the Bridgestone WSH.

With the score tied at 2-2, Damandeep Singh struck heroically out of a quick follow-up to a failed penalty corner sequence in the 55th minute, to end the deadlock even as Karnataka messed up three of the six penalty corners they earned in the last four minutes of play.

Lions were somewhat lethargic and clueless in the first quarter and lucky not to concede more than once in that session. Strykers’ Damandeep Singh and Bikas Toppo missed a couple of sitters due to anxiety rather than good defence.

Shortly, the Strykers availed a pathetic defensive lapse from the Lions to take the lead . Damandeep led the charge from the right flank and smashed the ball only to be blocked by goalie Devesh Chauhan, who left the cage early. Roshan Minz, who followed Damandeep closely, bounced on the rebound to blast the ball into the empty cage. Lions defenders Zeeshan Ashraf and Len Aiyappa were clearly caught unaware.

The visitors lifted their game in the second quarter. Winger Jarnail Singh sprinted from right into the circle, and fetched the first penalty corner of the match (24th minute). Aiyappa flicked in with ferocious force and goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh managed to deflect it but the ball hit Vikram Yadav which led to a penalty stroke. The stroke that survived a referral by captain Roshan Minz, was put in by Aiyappa to bring the score on parity.

Both teams lift their game after the lemon break. Lions and Strykers pressed hard, spark flew thick and fast, keeping the defence on both teams on their toes.

After a lull for some time, the match came alive with two terrific goals coming in two minutes in the third quarter. First, the unmarked Lungile Tolekile struck between the legs of the charging Devesh Chauhan. A quick counter followed the next minute and the evergreen prompter Ravi Pal showed a clean pair of heels to a host of defenders before sending a parallel pass inside the circle. With the only goalie to beat, Inocent Kullu placed the ball on the right side of the cage. However, Strykers’ Damandeep had other ideas and sealed the match with his opportunistic strike.

M.No.26
DAY 13: Monday 12.3.2012:

Bhopal ‘Goodshahs’on the rise

This was one of the most convincing display from the Badshahs in the entire tournament. Skipper Sameer Dad led from the front, goalkeeper Baljit Singh celebrated his birthday with a solid performance against the best drag-flicker in the tournament, Pakistani star Imran Warsi, their defence was tight, the midfield moved in tandem and the forwadline showed a never-day-die attitude though in the end, their supporters felt that the scoreline deserved to be 6-1 instead of 3-1 against the Chennai Cheetahs here.

Bhopal Badshahs are already looking like a champion side though there are still 30 more matches to go before the inaugural Bridgestone World Series Hockey enters the semifinal stage. The Badshahs had 48 per cent possession in the match as compared to 52 per cent that the Cheetahs had, took the second half of the match in their grip, and remained in the driving seat till the end. No chance of a rear guard action or a humdinger in sight for the Cheetahs as the Badshahs held complete sway in front of their home crowd.

The green machine played like a team possessed and a jam-packed Aisgbagh Stadium in applause – made a great viewing for hockey. It wasn’t that the Cheetahs played badly; actually the Badshahs were playing as if in a trance. With the three points gained today, Badshahs are now sitting on the top of points table after completing all seven matches in the first round of Bridgestone WSH.

Dad struck early in the match in the 20th minute but Cheetahs’ Vikram Pillay found the equalizer two minutes later from a penalty stroke. Joseph Rearson tore apart the solid looking Bhopal defence and earned a controversial stroke which survived a referral. Pillay placed the stroke to the top right corner of the net to restore parity for the moment. The Badshahs struck again through a move by Pakistani star Waseem Ahmed, and Lalit Upadhya enhanced the lead in the 48th minute. Within five minutes, the lead was consolidated further by Casey Henwood, who made full use of a Dad’s feed to complete the tally in the 52nd minute. The Cheetahs paid the penalty for missing their chances in the first half and failing to stop a rampaging Dad, who led the Badshahs brilliantly today.