s2h team
As a sign of the competition opening up, both matches on Saturday saw identical three-goal margin victories quite contrast to mostly drawn matches till now. benefitted by a brace of Jugran Singh Bengal Tigers posted 4-1 win over Delhi SG Pipers while home team Gonasika started its winning momentum with a 3-0 rout of Hyderabad Sultans.
M.No.9: Delhi SG Pipers suffered their first outright defeat of the season as Jugraj Singh scored a brace to hand Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers a 4-1 win in the ongoing Hockey India League (HIL) here on Saturday.
Jugraj (17th, 38th) converted two penalty corners, while Sukhjeet Singh (1st) and Abhishek (47th) struck from field play for Bengal Tigers. Delhi’s lone goal was scored from a penalty corner by Gareth Furlong in the 53rd minute.
In the earlier two matches before this for the Delhi team, both of which went to the shootouts, the Pipers won the first while losing the second.
The win, their third straight, propelled Bengal Tigers to the top of the points table.
On Saturday, Bengal Tigers started the match in the best fashion possible when Sukhjeet scored inside 30 seconds into the contest from a field effort to push the Delhi SG Pipers on the backfoot from the outset.
The Tigers maintained their shape throughout the first quarter while also defending solidly to deny the Pipers’ offensive forays. Even though Delhi SG Pipers had more circle penetrations, they failed to get a shot on target.
Two minutes into the second quarter, Jugraj doubled Bengal Tigers lead with a powerful dragflick from a penalty corner.
Delhi SG Pipers too had their chances when in the 22nd minute Bengal Tigers goalkeeper Jamie Carr made four saves on the trot to keep his side’s lead intact.
In the 27th minute, Tomas Domene came close to scoring for Delhi SG Pipers but his deflection from a narrow angle went just outside the goalpost as Bengal Tigers went into the breather leading 2-0.
Eight minutes after the change of ends, Jugraj scored his second goal of the day, again converting a penalty corner to the right of Delhi SG Pipers goalkeeper Pawan.
Delhi SG Pipers tried hard but were completely denied by the Bengal Tigers.
Two minutes into the final quarter, an unmarked Abhishek scored an easy tap-in goal to make the scoreline 4-0 in Bengal Tigers favour.
Trailing by four goals, Delhi SG Pipers finally pulled one back in the final seven minutes through Furlong’s penalty corner conversion.
That was all Delhi SG Pipers could manage in the evening as Bengal Tigers pocketed full three points from the game. The Delhi team are up against Soorma Hockey Club next in two days, as the two teams will lock horns against each other on 6th January in Rourkela.
M.No.10: Team Gonasika secured their first win of Hero Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 as they beat Hyderabad Toofans 3-1 at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on Saturday. SV Sunil (2`), Victor Charlet (33`) and Nilam Sanjeep Xess (60`) scored for Team Gonasika while Tim Brand (12`) scored for the Hyderabad Toofans.
SV Sunil and Mandeep Singh had been a lethal attacking pair in the 2010s with the duo combining to score many an important goal for India. They did it once again to give Gonasika the lead in the second minute.
Lee Morton played the ball to Mandeep with the India forward losing his defender and creating some space for himself. Mandeep displayed incredible agility and vision to play a superb pass to Sunil who tapped it into the empty goal.
The Toofans levelled against the run of play in the 12th play. Zachary Wallace played a pass towards the post Shilanand Lakra helping the ball along the way. Both Rajinder Singh and Tim Brand were at hand to try and squeeze it past Oliver Payne. It was Brand who got the telling touch.
Sunil nearly gave Gonasika their lead again in the final minute as he sneaked towards the far post. Goalkeeper Dominic Dixon did enough to close down the angle as Sunil ran out of room to shoot.
Gonasika thought they took the lead in the 22nd minute. Araijeet Singh Hundal stole the ball high up on the pitch and threaded the Toofans’ defence to find Timothee Clement. The French forward took a touch before tomahawking the ball past Dixon.
However, the TV umpire found that Clement had used his back stick in his shot.
The Toofans had a big chance to take the lead as they made their way into the circle. Arshdeep Singh made space for himself at the post and went across the goal. The ball, however, fizzed across the face of goal.
Team Gonasika could have gone into the break with the lead if not for Devendra Walmiki’s timely intervention. Lee Morton was found in the circle with a crossfield diagonal. Morton fired in a cross for fellow Scotsman Struan Walker who was waiting at the far post. Walmiki was at the right place to deflect the ball away from Walker.
Gonasika had the perfect start to the half as they once again took the lead. They won four penalty corners on the trot with Victor Charlet finally firing his drag flick past Dixon in the 33rd minute.
The Toofans had their fair share of chances to score but were unable to find the killer touch as Gonasika ended the quarter with their lead intact.
The Toofans had a flurry of chances in the opening few minutes of the final quarter but were thwarted by a solid Gonasika defence. Gonasika’s best chance in the early minutes fell to Sunil from a counter but the former India forward was unable to get his shot away.
In the 53rd minute, Maico Casella jinxed past two players which gave him the time to pick out the perfect pass. The Argentine player found the run of Wallace with the Australian getting past one defender. However, Wallace’s touch let him down as Gonasika scrambled to get the ball out of their circle.
The Toofans have been the most successful team from penalty corners this season having scored four goals before today. It was thus a testament to Gonasika’s defence that the Toofans won their first penalty corner in the 57th minute.
Gonzallo Peillat, one of the deadliest drag flickers in the game, saw his effort blocked down by his opposite number, Charlet.
The Toofans took off their goalkeeper as they went in search of the equaliser. Unfortunately, they were unable to make it count with Gonasika managing to make it 3-1 with Nilam Sanjeep Xess poking the ball into the empty goal in the final minute.
Player of the Match Victor Charlet said, “After three good games, we needed three points and we are happy to have got it today. All the matches have been tight so we need to be 100% for all the matches and today was a big victory for us”
Photo courtesy: Hockey India League