Delhi beat Bhopal 3-1 in World Series Hockey

NEW DELHI: Delhi Wizards dished out a clinical performance to notch up a thrilling 3-1 victory over Bhopal Badshahs in a World Series Hockey match at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Thursday.

The hosts scored through K Victo Singh (4th minute), Shakeel Abbasi (11th) and Vickram Kanth (69th), while Casey Henwood (22nd) brought up the solitary goal for Bhopal in the second quarter.

With this win, Delhi took their total to 10 points with three wins, four losses and one draw.

Bhopal could not make too many shots at the goal and even though they fought hard and earned four successive penalty corners, they failing to convert any of them.

Delhi drew the first blood early in the match when Victo scored through a field goal in the fourth minute.

Pakistani centre forward Shakeel Abbasi then doubled the lead when he slotted home after getting a short pass from Philip Sunkel, who tapped the ball to him, inside the D.

Delhi made many more forays in the rival circle and made as many as three more shots at the goal and if it would not have been for an alert goalkeeper Baljit Singh, Bhopal would have conceded more goals.

In the second quarter, Bhopal reduced the margin when New Zealand midfielder Casey Henwood single-handed dogged the defenders and the goalkeeper to slip one inside the cage just five minutes after the break.

The Badshahs worked hard and had better ball possession in the third quarter but they failed to convert their moves into goals. Shakeel had some good moves and even earned a penalty corner for Delhi but Bhopal kept them at bay.

With time running out, both team made penetrations with Bhopal earning four consecutive penalty corners between 62nd to 64th minute but they squandered all the chances.

Delhi, on the other hand, made good use of a penalty corner awarded to them at the dying minutes with kant slapping home after Vikramjit’s stroke was stopped by the defender.

Delhi will next face Mumbai Marines at home on Monday, while Bhopal will meet Sher-E-Punjab at Jalander on Saturday.