The Tribune: HIL: Punjab Warriors stranded in Mumbai

Captain Florian Fuchs and Affan Yousuf scored twice each as Mumbai hammered defending champions Punjab Warriors 10-4 to leap to the top of the Hockey India League at the Mahindra Hockey Stadium on Friday.

Fuchs sounded the board twice (30 and 43 min) after Punjab forward Matt Gohdes (13 min) cancelled out Nikkin Thimmiah’s fifth minute opening goal lead.

Arman Qureshi then scored a field goal to reduce the difference to two in the 44th minute. But Affan Yousuf’s 49th minute deflection and another goal gave the hosts a 10-4 lead in the match.

With this win, Mumbai jumped to the top of the table with 12 points from three games, pushing down Kalinga Lancers, 10 points, to the second spot. Ranchi Rays are third with eight points from three games, while Uttar Pradesh Wizards are fourth with one point after one game.

Mumbai got the advantage when Belgian midfielder Emmanuel Stockbroekx made a solo run of around 50 yards and moved to the right of the Punjab circle before crossing at the feet of goalkeeper Tristian Clemons. The ball bounced off Clemons’ feet and Thimmiah was ready to slap the ball in to make it 2-0.

Punjab found the equaliser in the 13th minute when Gohdes stole the ball from a sloppy Harmanpreet Singh near the halfway line and surged forward before firing past a diving David Harte with a strong finish. In the second quarter, both the teams got a penalty corner each but neither of them could convert it into a goal. While Mumbai messed up a variation tactic, Punjab’s debutant Mink van der Weerden’s flick couldn’t evade the first runner Stockbroekx.

Punjab forward SV Sunil floundered at two close-range chances. At the first opportunity, he failed to trap a swift cross at the right post and in the second chance, his drive was wayward. Mumbai regained the lead seconds before the halftime when captain Fuchs’ ripping backhand strike from the edge of the circle left goalkeeper Clemons stranded.
Fuchs then scored his second goal of the night when Thimmiah’s baseline cross was half-heartedly cleared and it moved to Fuchs, who was stationed at the top of the circle unmarked. The German then delivered a powerful strike that beat Clemons on the left.

Punjab’s counter-attack followed and Qureshi made the most of a mistake from defender Harmanpreet to make it 4-6 with a close-range finish.

In the 49th minute, Gurjant Singh’s back-hander from the left was successfully deflected in by Yousuf, who then himself employed a back-hander to send the ball into an open net in the 51st minute.

Matt Gohdes of Punjab was awarded a prize purse of Rs 50,000 for scoring the Goal of the Match. Armaan Qureshi of Punjab won the Young Achiever of the Match award, while Fuchs was declared the Man of the Match.

Ranchi thump Kalinga Lancers 7-2

Ranchi: Ranchi Rays thrashed Kalinga Lancers 7-2 in a sensational match on Thursday. Ashley Jackson (24 min), Mohd Amir Khan (30 min), Christopher Ruhr (31 min), and Manpreet Singh (44 min) scored for Ranchi. Lalit Upadhyay (49 min) scored the lone goal for the losing team.