MPS Grewal Hockey
Chd academy, WR in title clash
Anil Datt
Ludhiana, November 30
Last year’s losing finalists, Western Railway, Mumbai, scripted an easy 4-0 win over Northern Eastern Railway, Goarkhpur, 4-0 in their last league fixture on the penultimate day of the XIIth All-India Mohinder Partap Singh Grewal Memorial Hockey Tournament being played here at the Prithipal Singh Memorial AstroTurf Stadium of the Punjab Agricultural University campus here today.
With this victory, WR eves garnered six points from three matches and topped pool A while NER, Goarkhapur secured three points to finish at second spot.
In the pool B, Chandigarh Academy accumulated four points to finish at top, followed by MP Academy of Gwalior that earned two points and had to be content with second place.
In the final slated for tomorrow at 2 pm, Western Railway will take on Chandigarh Academy while in the match for hardline cup, Northern Eastern Railway, Goarakhpur will clash with with MP Academy, Gwalior, scheduled to start at 12 noon.
In the first match today, which was of mere academic interest, HMV Dhanoa XI drew 1-1 with Amritsar XI.
Though, HMV Dhanoa had an upper hand and dominated the proceedings most of the time but failed to capitalise on chances which came their way.
They wasted two penalty corners in the first session while Amritsar girls too failed to make use of a penalty corner which they forced midway.
After a barren first half, HMV Dhanoa went ahead in the 58th minute through a field goal scored by Seema.
They could have increased the lead but Charanjit Kaur’s hit off a penalty stroke went aside and a penalty corner went abegging.
Just two minutes before the final whistle, Amritsar XI forced a penalty corner and Charanjit Kaur made no mistake in rolling the ball into the net to level score (1-1).
In the last league fixture, as expected, Western Railway, Mumbai, faced little resistance from Northern Eastern Railway, Gorakhpur, whom they blanked 4-0 to keep their slate clean, wrapping up all their matches.
WR’s centre forward and international, Sangai Chanu put her side into the lead through a field goal in the 7th minute. They enhanced the lead in the 25th minute through another international, Nishi Chauhan.
After changing ends, WR eves converted two more penalty corners (Sushma Kharab-41st minute) and Sangai Chanu (44th minute) to help their side wind up their league engagements (4-0) on a sound note.