Air India overcame a fighting Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) 3-0 in the semi-final Saturday to set up a summit clash with IndianOil Corporation in the 84th All-India MCC Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament here in Chennai.

In a free-flowing game, IOB displayed rare discipline and composure, but just could not match the experience and firepower of Air India, for whom World Cupper Arjun Halappa (25th, 69th) and A.B. Cheeyanna (30th) scored. Earlier, former India player Deepak Thakur lifted IndianOil Corporation (IOC) to a 4-2 win against Army XI. The stocky forward lent the encounter much needed quality by not only scoring a goal but also setting up another. IOC found their saviours in penalty corner specialist Ramachandra Raghunath (38th), Bharat Chhikara (49th), Thakur (53rd) and Roshan Minz (70th) while Army XI’s goals came from Eliazer Lakra (29th) and Ignace Tirkey (46th).

If Air India could score but only two goals in the first half, that was mainly due to the young IOB goalkeeper Sreejesh, a product of the Sports Authority of India hostel, and who has been pushing for national recognition.

Sreejesh brought off several fine saves to keep IOB in the reckoning. Halappa flicked home from a goalmouth scramble to give Air India a 1-0 lead and Cheeyanna steamed in from the 25-yard line to finish with a controlled reverse hit. On change of ends, Air India nearly scored twice when Dilip Tirkey converted penalty corners in the 42nd and 66th minutes, but they were disallowed for dangerous play (raised ball). At the other end, IOB pressed hard, but drew blank as their forwards fumbled and also Air India defended capably before Halappa flicked in a pass from left for the third goal.

There was an element of luck about IOC’s victory as Army XI, despite enjoying spell of dominance, failed to convert their chances, especially when they led 2-1 early in the second half. If IOC appeared strangely lethargic for the best part of the game, the Army players showed greater enthusiasm and spirit to repeatedly threaten their more experienced opponents. In the end, it was IOC’s sharper finish that proved decisive as Army XI paid a heavy price for the lapses in the last 20 minutes when they let in two goals.

Lakra’s penalty corner conversion in the 29th minute with a direct hit put Army ahead, but Raghunath returned the compliment in the 38th, scoring off the third penalty corner. Army XI went ahead again in the 46 when veteran Ignace Tirkey evoked memories some of the fine goals he had scored for India in the recent past with a searing shot to the net off a Sunil pass. Thereafter, Army blew a couple of scoring chances to allow IOC back in the game.

Chhikara completed a Rajpal Singh-Thakur move with a diving deflection in the 49th for the equalizer and then Thakur scored undoubtedly the best goal of the match with a brilliant reverse hit off a Rajpal pass in the 53rd. Thakur’s receiving and then a swift turn that left his marker Varun Kumar stranded and he capped it with a hard shot to the boards. IOC then saw off some anxious moments before scoring a fourth from a counter attack in the last minute as Minz sent home a Inderjit Chadda pass.

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COURTESY: NEW INDIAN EXPRESS, CHENNAI