Air India look untouchable this season winning their third game on the trot, this time a 9-4 thrashing of MbPT

Air India continued their unbeaten streak at the Mumbai Hockey Associations (MHA) Super League by beating Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) 9-4 at the Mahindra Stadium on Friday.

The first-half of the game saw MbPT put up a tough fight as they kept abreast with the airmen to take the score to 3-3 in the 24th minute. Air India made most of the penalty corners offered as Sameer Dad and Joga Singh converted one each in the first half. This was followed by a field goal by captain Girish Pimpale.

In reply, MbPTs Jai Bhagwan converted a short corner in the ninth minute, followed by a stunner by captain Leonard Pereira, who received a pass inside the D-area and made most of it. The best goal of the match came from Mohd Ather Mirza in the 24th minute, piercing into the Air Indias defence and tackling the ball for a good half-minute before pushing it into the nets.

The scoreline at lemon break read 5-3 as Dad and Pimpale struck again to attain the crucial lead. As play resumed in the second half, Air India pulled up their socks and tightened their defence, not letting MbPT take advantage of any loose strings. They also concentrated on their attack to take the score to 9-3 as Lazarus Barla, Joga Singh, Pimpale and Yuvraj Walmiki scored goals.

Before the final whistle blew on the game, Pranav Pandey of MbPT did his bit to keep the game alive in its dying stages and the final score at the end of play was 9-4. “We missed too many chances. In the first half of the game, our defence wasnt as good. However, in the second half we concentrated on man-to-man defence and the results are in front of you,” said Vernon Lobo, Air India manager, after the match.