M No. 35
Day 18 Monday19.3.2012
A goal@10 minute, Comets pip Strykers in 4-3 thriller
Calm, collected Comets. Chandigarh-wallas would be proud. Chandigarh Comets Strykers spanked Pune Strykers in a great comeback to win 4-3 in their Bridgestone World Series Hockey match here on Monday. Comets unleashed the rear guard action with Pakistani star Rehan Butt tapping in from close range off the winner if the ‘goal-of-the match’ Sukhwinder ‘Gabbar’ Singh’s parallel pass, in respond to the Strykers’ blitzkrieg. The rest is history.
Canadian import Gabbar Singh struck the all-important winning goal off a penalty-stroke in the dying moment, which was a stark reminder of an error prone to most young hockey players in India. With this victory, Comets are now in second position with 15 points, four less than the table leaders, Sher-E-Punjab.
Pune strykers struck three goals in the first eight minutes to stun the home side and then the gritty Comets cancelled out the lead shortly after the lemon time. And then Sukhwinder Singh converted a stroke five second before the hooter in a scintillating match which is becoming a feature of Bridgestone WSH as it inches towards the final stage.
True to their team’s name, Pune Strykers went into the business of striking goals straightaway from the start. Strykers stunned the otherwise solid defence of Comets with meticulous but merciless strikes at the cage to go up by three goals to nil within first eight minutes for a dream start any team can ask for.
Captain Roshan Minz’s alacrity inside the circle led the Strykers to their first goal. The tribal star trapped a Mario Almada’s back pass, turned full before banging the ball diagonally into the other side of the net. Damandeep Singh doubly ensured the ball’s entry into the net with a gentle nudge.
Even before the Comets came to terms with this quick silver goal, Simranjeet Singh Randhawa, after Gurpreet Singh played a dummy in the first penalty corner, dispatched the ball to the right corner to enhance the lead. This sixth minute goal survived a hotly contested referral. Emboldened by the two goals, Stykers forwards increased the pace, opened up the flanks, entered the circle quite often. The panicky Comets defence stick-checked the well-positioned Damandeep Singh to give away a stroke, which was successfully converted by Gurpreet Singh.
Then, Sukhwinder Singh, Butt and Bharat Chhikara combined effectively with the colts to take control of the play, thereby staging one of the greatest comebacks of the tournament. Butt struck to reduce the margin, and shortly after Bharat Chhikara failed to connect a high ball that came to him after a Sukhwinder shot, Gurjinder Singh converted their first penalty corner to reduce the lead further, at the stroke of lemon time. Comets continued their aggression after the break, and got the dividend. Their man-in-form Sukhwinder Singh bounced on to a weak rebound off the goalie to can out the last lead.
At 3-3 in the 38th minutes, both teams came out with their best to go up, each minutes witnessing a shot at goal or an event of worth. Both sides waged a grim battle for supremacy thereafter. Almada shot wide his forehand as Comets survived a scare in the third quarter, and then he was again the culprit failing to tap the ball in the 60th minute, unlike Butt’s earlier feat though he was similarly positioned. A defender tackled the ball above shoulder on the brim of circle which led to stroke in the last moments. The crowd at the Sector 42 Stadium broke into a thundering applause.
M No. 36
Day 18 Monday19.3.2012
Delhi Wizards survive late onslaught from Mumbai Marines for a narrow 2-1 win
Stakes were high when Delhi Wizards met Mumbai Marines on Monday. With identical three wins and a draw after eight matches, both teams had ten points and were running neck to neck perched respectively in the sixth and seventh place in the points table.
Against the backdrop, both teams showed enough urgency to churn out another of excellent encounter that held the stands in rapture throughout the seventy minutes of game at Major Dhyan Chand National stadium.
Delhi Wizards, despite a stroke not surviving referral, survived many tense moments before sneaking through for a narrow but deserving 2-1 victory over the marauding but luckless Marines.
Troy Sutherland of Marines struck the equalizer a minute before the hooter, but it failed to convince the third umpire, and then Devinder Walmiki fetched a penalty corner at the stroke of hooter, which was wasted.
The great match had such twist and turns, befitting the severely competitive nature of the Bridgestone World Series Hockey. With this win, Delhi gained two positions in the points table.
After quite a few penetrations into the circle, and after Manjeet Kullu effected a goal save that frustrated the sharp shooting duo of Hariprasad and Devinder Walkiki, the Wizards went up.
Wingers Victo Singh and Gurvinder Singh ralled a sally into the circle, and were successful in getting their first penalty corner of which Vikramjeet Singh struck.
In the same minute, Joga Singh earned a return penalty corner after burst into the D from right. Devinder took the drag only to be blocked by the charger, but Ajmer Singh, who was covering Devinder, tapped the rebound and whacked the ball into the right corner of the net with whiplash of a shot. A fitting reply for the visitors, as they missed couple of sitters in the initial moments.
It was captain Shakeel Abbasi who played a saviour role in seeing his side change sides with a goal advantage. Abbasi showed a clean pair of heels on the left flank, entered the D, and unleashed a parallel pass a minute before the half time. The ball rolled ferociously in front of the goal mouth. A harried Ajmir Singh tried to stop it on its flight, but saw it bounce off into the net much to his agony. Though just less than 30 seconds left in the clock, Marines called a time out, but on return conceded a penalty corner which too was wasted.
Marines earned a couple of penalty corners midway through third quarter, but Delhi’s goalie Kamaldeep Singh came out with his best to safeguard his cage.
Six minutes before the hooter, Shakeel had the mortification of getting yellow-card suspension as his side was found to have a member more on the field. Rajpal earned a dubious stroke with his solo and it rightly did not stand scrutiny.